Municipal Liaison Offices in China: A Dangerous Idea

The mayors of Taipei and New Taipei City are exploring the possibility of setting up liaison offices in China, a plan which if implemented could assist Beijing’s efforts to sideline and discredit central state institutions in Taiwan 

Recently both the New Taipei City Government and the Taipei City Government have announced plans to open liaison offices in China to assist Taiwanese citizens and promote business ties. In the current context, such plans hold many pitfalls and could play into Beijing’s efforts to bypass and discredit central government institutions in Taiwan. 

On Friday, New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu of the Kuomintang (KMT) and Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, an independent, told city councillors of their intentions to open liaison offices in China. The announcements prompted a response from the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Saturday, which emphasized that decisions on initiatives pertaining to cross-Strait relations are the remit of the central government under the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area. 

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