The organizing committee of the 5th Cross-Straits Forum said that it will open in the city of Xiamen, Fujian province, on June 15 and run for a week, and 72 companies including 36 from Taiwan are co-sponsoring the event.

Chen Ling, deputy director of the committee also said at a recent press conference that the forum will this year include 28 activities divided in four parts – conferences, grassroots, and cultural and economic exchanges.

Grassroots activities will be given priority as they relate to social issues concerning workers, youth and women. Topics such as public welfare and volunteer services will be discussed, and the 2nd Cross-Straits Marriage and Family Forum is expected to be a highlight.

A temple fair in the city of Quanzhou with Taiwan’s typical features, a financial forum, and also a Taiwan agricultural products fair are set to be major attractions relating to economic exchanges. The two sides aim to strengthen city or county-level cooperation, and the organizers are expected to present new policies that will benefit the people of Taiwan.

The Cross-Straits Forum is the largest cross-Straits communication event of its kind in China. The first session was held in Xiamen in 2009 when about 10,000 people from the mainland and Taiwan participated.

Edited by Lin Hong and Niva Whyman