Officials from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have called for expanded people-to-people exchange across the Taiwan Straits during a non-governmental Straits Forum in the coastal city of Xiamen.
Despite the increase in the number of direct flights and tourists between the Straits, organizers and participants at the forum feel there is much more to be done in cultural and personal exchanges.
Damin takes a closer look.
The ongoing Straits Forum, the second of its kind, has drawn the participation of more than 10,000 guests from Taiwan. Organizers say about 80 percent of the participants from the island are not officials.
Unlike other major cross-straits gatherings, which are dominated by formal dialogue and policy-setting negotiations, this forum is dominated by leisurely chats of shared values such as culture and religion.
China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin says the enthusiastic participation of Taiwan people demonstrates their strong desire for face-to-face exchange with mainland residents.
"With so many Taiwan people gathering here, we can feel a sense of kinship and friendship and look forward to deepening exchange and mutual understanding. I think this forum reflects the peaceful development of cross-straits relations and people's wishes to exchange and cooperate."
Jia Qinglin admits that some Taiwan residents still have insufficient understanding, or even misunderstandings, of the mainland.
To solve this problem, he stresses that promoting people-to-people exchange is crucial.
"We hope non-governmental organizations from both sides can play a bigger role and explore new ways to boost cross-straits exchange. We also expect more and more common people to actively participate in the cross-straits exchange and contribute to the peaceful development of cross-straits relations."
Huang Minhui, Vice Chair of Taiwan's Kuomingtang Party, also underpins the importance of non-governmental exchange and cooperation.
"We had put confrontation to an end with gradual mutual trust. Then we began to communicate and cooperate. Throughout this process, the common people were both witnesses and a pushing power. Looking to the future, I think enhanced people-to-people exchange can create a win-win situation for both sides."
The Chinese mainland and Taiwan have experienced increased people-to-people exchange in recent years.
In 2009, a record high 5.4 million residents from the mainland and Taiwan traveled across the Straits.
The number is expected to surpass 6 million this year.
