11th Straits Forum kicks off on Saturday
An Fengshan, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. [Photo/VCG]
BEIJING-- The 11th Straits Forum will be held in Fujian province on the Chinese mainland starting Saturday, a spokesperson said at a press conference Wednesday.
A record number of more than 10,000 people from Taiwan have signed up for the forum, said An Fengshan, spokesperson with the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office.
Co-sponsored by over 80 units and social organizations across the straits, the one-week forum will consist of more than 60 activities and the opening ceremony will be held in Xiamen in Fujian province.
In response to the fact that the Taiwan side is obstructing the participation in the forum by persons and organizations from the island, An said the unreasonable move by the Democratic Progressive Party administration exposed their fear for the development of cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation and will not affect the successful hosting of the forum.
Why Xiamen
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Xiamen is one of the most economically competitive cities in China and was one of the first Special Economic Zones on the Chinese mainland. As a vice-provincial city independently listed on the State development plan, it has provincial-level authority in economic administration and local legislative power. In 2010, the Xiamen SEZ was expanded to cover the entire municipality. Today, Xiamen is a modern and international port city.