'Trend' voted word of 2025 across Taiwan Strait

TAIPEI -- The Chinese character "shi," which can mean both "trend" and "momentum," has been voted the 2025 word of the year across the Taiwan Strait, organizers announced Tuesday in Taipei.

The word received 1.28 million votes in an online poll that drew 15.82 million votes, according to the organizers, Taiwan-based Want Want China Times Media Group and Fujian-based Xiamen Daily.

The poll, which ran from Nov 24 to Dec 7, featured 36 candidate characters recommended by celebrities and netizens across the Strait.

Xie Qingguo, a professor at the School of Journalism and Communication at Xiamen University who recommended the character, said "shi" represents a formless yet irresistible force. "Promoting peaceful cross-Strait development is an unstoppable trend and the prevailing momentum," Xie said in a video message at the ceremony.

Huang Kuang-nan, a professor at the Taiwan University of Arts, noted that "shi" also carries significance for cross-Strait cultural exchanges. "It reflects an emotional bond between people on both sides of the Strait, and we hope to further cultivate the shared momentum and vitality of our nation," he said.

The cross-Strait word-of-the-year event has been held annually since 2008. Last year's selected character was "zheng," meaning "conflict" and "competition."