Officials from mainland and Taiwan pledge economic and trade cooperation

Officials from the Chinese mainland and representatives from Taiwan pledged to advance cross-Strait economic, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges, as well as to deepen integrated development, as the four-day Tianjin-Taiwan Investment and Trade Fair closed on Friday in Tianjin.

Launched in 2008, the Tianjin-Taiwan Investment and Trade Fair has been held 15 times, altogether securing over 350 signed projects, with intended investment totaling approximately 123.8 billion yuan ($17.2 billion). This year alone, 32 projects with investment from Taiwan have been established in Tianjin, with a total contractual investment of $31.78 million (230 million yuan), showcasing the strong vitality and immense potential of Tianjin-Taiwan economic and trade cooperation.

With the theme "Integrating for New Development, Creating a Shared Future", this year's event focused on areas such as medical and health care, the yacht economy, and catering and processing, to explore cooperation on the industrial, supply, consumption, and talent chains.

"We have always been committed to the principle that the two sides of the Strait are one family, actively promoting cross-Strait economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation," Song Tao, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said.

Zhang Gong, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China Tianjin Municipal Committee and mayor of Tianjin, said that Tianjin welcomes young people from Taiwan to pursue their dreams in the city.

Before the opening ceremony of the trade fair, Song met with Hsiao Hsu-tsen, vice-chairman-designate of the Chinese Kuomintang party, and his delegation in Tianjin on Tuesday.

Hsiao said Tianjin is a city of unique charm, boasting a profound historical and cultural heritage while also demonstrating a spirit of inclusiveness, openness, and innovation.

"I hope young people from Taiwan will visit the Chinese mainland more often and see more of it. The future of the Chinese nation depends on the cooperation and shared prosperity of the youth on both sides of the Strait. I hope Taiwan's young people will keep this firmly in mind," Hsiao said.

Zhang Haoyu contributed to this story.