Tainan Mayor William Lai is visiting China for the first time. He was speaking on Friday at the opening of an exhibition of work by renowned Taiwanese painter Chen Cheng-po.

Lai’s trip is focused on cultural exchange and city diplomacy. He has no scheduled meetings with Chinese officials but is open to speaking with them if the opportunity arises. This has been the unofficial policy of opposition politicians during their trips to China.

Lai will attend a banquet in honor of the painter on Friday evening. On Saturday, he is scheduled to attend a panel discussion at Fudan University as well as a presentation on medical tourism. He will return to Taiwan on Saturday.