TAIPEI,??? ?? ???? Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The 2024 Shanghai-Taipei City Forum opened on Tuesday in Taipei, with memorandums of cooperation signed in the field of smart health care and on the exchange and conservation of red pandas.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Hua Yuan, deputy mayor of Shanghai, said that the theme of this year's forum -- "Smart governance, sustainable future" -- reflects how people from both cities eagerly anticipate integrated development, as well as their expectations for the future of urban growth.

He expressed the hope that the two cities would use this forum as an opportunity to deepen practical cooperation in areas such as transportation, water management, health care and the environment.

He also encouraged people from Taiwan and Shanghai to visit each other's cities, and announced that Shanghai would promote group tours to Taiwan.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an said that Taipei and Shanghai have continued to hold the forum year after year despite multiple challenges.

More cross-Strait communication is needed in tense and difficult times, Chiang said, noting that increasing understanding is far better than increasing misunderstanding.

At three sub-forums, representatives of both cities shared their experience and engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as friendly transportation cooperation, river management and the construction of culturally vibrant cities.