Forum underlines cross-Strait exchanges

A think tank forum held on Tuesday between the Communist Party of China and the Chinese Kuomintang party, marking the resumption of a major interparty exchange mechanism, helped to advance the interests of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, attendees said.

Song Tao, head of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee, said at the forum in Beijing that the event served to implement the spirit of the messages exchanged between the two parties' leaders in October, when Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, congratulated Cheng Li-wun on her election as KMT chairwoman.

Song emphasized that both the CPC and the KMT shoulder "an inescapable responsibility to promote the peaceful and efficient development of cross-Strait relations and to safeguard the shared homeland of the Chinese nation".

Highlighting the shared political foundation between the two parties of upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence", Song said that cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation are crucial for maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Themed around prospects for cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, the forum featured three panel discussions on areas including tourism, industrial development, environmental protection and sustainable development.

Song said that the discussions closely align with the development needs of industries across the Strait and the livelihood needs of people on both sides, providing a positive starting point for deepening cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation.

The forum brought together around 100 participants, including think tank members from both sides, as well as representatives from various sectors across the Strait, such as tourism, industry, technology, health-care and environmental protection.

Hsiao Hsu-tsen, vice-chairman of the KMT, stressed that both sides should prioritize people's well-being, uphold the 1992 Consensus, oppose "Taiwan independence" and seek common ground while setting aside differences.

He noted that active and robust people-to-people exchanges reflect the true public sentiment in Taiwan.

Jointly hosted by the Research Center for Cross-Strait Relations of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and a policy foundation affiliated with the KMT, the forum marked the resumption of the interparty exchange mechanism after nearly a decade.

As an outcome of the forum, the two sides issued 15 joint proposals covering five areas of cross-Strait cooperation: promoting the normalization of personnel exchanges, strengthening cooperation in emerging industries, exploring new paths for cooperation in healthcare and wellness, deepening exchanges and cooperation in the environmental sector and strengthening cooperation in disaster prevention and mitigation.

Lai Seh-jen, chairwoman of the Taiwan Tourism Interchange Association, said that Taiwan's tourism industry is eager to expand cross-Strait exchanges. Along with other representatives from Taiwan's tourism sector, she proposed that both sides create conditions to lift the group travel ban for Taiwan residents to visit the mainland and strengthen cooperation between private-sector organizations on both sides.

The joint proposals called for lifting restrictions imposed by the Democratic Progressive Party authorities on cross-Strait personnel exchanges and restoring full normalization of direct sea and air passenger transport across the Strait.

Chen Yung-feng, chairman of George Machine Co, highlighted the numerous opportunities for industrial cooperation between Taiwan and the mainland, from artificial intelligence to smart manufacturing. "Taiwan can draw on the mainland's well-established experience and work together, leveraging each side's strengths to achieve even greater success," he said.

The proposals also emphasized industrial exchanges in precision machinery and smart manufacturing technologies, as well as cross-Strait collaboration in the renewable energy sector.