Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen of Taiwan's ruling DPP says the annual Taipei-Shanghai city forum should only go ahead if it delivers real results and comes with no political strings attached — a stance that signals cooler cross-strait city ties if he wins.

• Shen says the forum is only worth holding if it produces real benefits, involves the public, and follows up on results.
• The current version, in his view, comes with preconditions and delivers little, so there is "no need" to keep running it as-is.
• He would keep it if it protects Taiwan's sovereignty, works as a true capital-to-capital exchange, and strengthens both sides.
• Taipei should look beyond Shanghai and Beijing to other international cities, where exchanges offer more value without political conditions.
• Shen is campaigning heavily at street level and says he will build his policy platform from the concerns residents raise directly.

Outlook: If Shen wins, expect the Taipei-Shanghai forum to be paused or reshaped, with the city shifting toward exchanges with other international cities instead.