Cross strait family, cross the sea and reunite again. In midsummer, the 16th Strait Forum arrived as scheduled. This forum adheres to the positioning of "people-oriented, grassroots, and extensive", continues the theme of "expanding non-governmental exchanges and deepening integrated development", and focuses on a one week event. The main venue is located in Xiamen, Fujian, and is jointly hosted by 86 units from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
During the forum, the four major sectors of grassroots exchanges, youth exchanges, cultural exchanges, and economic exchanges were constantly exciting, with 50 highlights of the activities. About 7000 representatives from Taiwan's political parties, industry, and community leaders, as well as guests from various fields such as working women, science, education, culture and health, agriculture, fishery, water conservancy, and folk beliefs, were invited to attend the conference. Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait express their common aspirations for peace, development, exchange, and cooperation by sharing their hometown feelings and friendship, speaking together and moving towards each other.
Expanding communication on people's aspirations
The Cross Strait Forum is an important platform for expanding cross-strait civil exchanges and deepening cross-strait integration and development. In recent years, the Strait Forum has overcome many difficulties and challenges and has been successfully held consecutively. This fully demonstrates that the blood and family ties of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, who share the same origin and bloodline, are constantly cut off by any force; The common desire of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to approach closer ties is unstoppable by any force.
On June 15th, at the 12th "Same Name Village, Heart to Heart" Friendship Event, Lu Bingwen, founder of the Fujian Taiwan Same Clan Same Name Village Exchange Center, created the song "Yuan Yuan: Song of Same Name Village" with a melodious melody, praising emotions.
Lu Bingwen once spent 10 years traveling to 210 ancestral halls across Taiwan, witnessing the blood of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait being thicker than water and sharing the same roots and origins. He said, "This song is dedicated to all the relatives and fellow villagers on both sides of the Taiwan Strait."
At the Cross Strait Public Welfare Forum, 72 year old Xie Yuanzhi, Honorary President of the Chinese Sage Culture Society in Kinmen County, talked about traditional Chinese culture with great ease.  
In recent years, the Chinese Sage Cultural Society in Jinmen County has frequently traveled between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and jointly organized traditional Confucian culture promotion activities with book clubs in Xiamen and other places, with a total of 400 to 500 participants.
The strait cannot separate the geese, and time does not change people's hearts.
From economic and trade docking to cultural tracing, from seeking roots and paying homage to ancestors to looking forward to the future, the passionate venue vividly reflects the surging momentum of cross-strait exchanges and exchanges. As Zhang Lishan, the County Magistrate of Yunlin, Taiwan, who participated in the Taiwan Strait Forum for the first time, said, "Through face-to-face exchanges between the two sides, sincerity and goodwill can be demonstrated, reflecting the blood thicker than water relationship between the two sides."
Deepening integration is unstoppable
Fujian, the host city of the Taiwan Strait Forum, is the main ancestral home of Taiwanese compatriots and the homeland of most people on the island. It is also at the forefront of cross-strait exchanges and integrated development.
At the Straits Youth Forum, with the theme of "Youth Joins Hands to Create the Future, Working Together for Revival," a baseball team caught the attention of people. They are the Fujian Province baseball team formed by young baseball players from both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Not long ago, they participated in the Chinese Baseball League and participated in national level events in the form of a "cross-strait joint team", which is still the first time.
"I used to come to mainland China to play, but I didn't expect to get the opportunity to coach for the provincial team." The team's head coach, Zeng Huawei, comes from Taiwan. He wants to tell Taiwanese players through his personal experience that the mainland has many good policies that can provide a big stage.
Through communication, benefits, and emotions, we aim to enable Taiwanese compatriots to live and work in peace and contentment on the mainland, with greater benefits, greater well-being, and a better future.
Xiamen Airlines flight attendant Chen Yuxuan comes from Taiwan and after nearly 5000 hours of flight, she has become the leading flight attendant; Taiqing Xu Weixin started his own business in Anhui, driving a family of five to "land"; Taiwanese teacher Lai Yanjun, who also serves as a lawyer, rooted in Wuhan and provides legal services to Taiwanese compatriots... At the forum, participating Taiwanese compatriots shared stories of pursuing, building, and fulfilling their dreams in mainland China, providing vivid annotations for the development of cross-strait integration.
Last September, the Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Supporting Fujian in Exploring New Paths for Cross Strait Integration and Development and Building Cross Strait Integration and Development Demonstration Zones were issued. Over the past year, from the steady and progressive economic and trade cooperation between Fujian and Taiwan, to the accelerated promotion of the "Small Four Links", and further implementation of equal treatment for Taiwanese compatriots and enterprises... the integration and development of various fields between Fujian and Taiwan have continued to advance. This has also become one of the most touching topics for people from all walks of life at this year's Strait Forum.
 
Firmly move forward and protect our homeland
As the largest, most extensive, and deeply influential civil exchange event on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, the Taiwan Strait Forum has received widespread attention from various sectors in Taiwan.  
However, Lai Ching te and the Democratic Progressive Party cannot represent the mainstream public opinion on the island, nor can they change the basic pattern and development direction of cross-strait relations, nor can they stop the natural emotions and strong desires of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait from getting closer and closer.
"Let's go with the flow and follow the trend." Zhao Chunshan, an honorary professor at the Institute of Mainland Studies at Tamkang University in Taiwan, used eight words to express the true meaning of cross-strait exchanges, cooperation, and integrated development.
He expressed his delight in seeing more and more young people participate in the Taiwan Strait Forum, injecting youthful vitality and adding fresh wisdom to this annual cross-strait event. "The more the Democratic Progressive Party blocks, the more curious they become and want to explore. This is something that political factors are difficult to interfere with."
Good youth on both sides of the Taiwan Strait will lead to a better future for both sides. The youth section of this year's Cross Strait Forum has a total of 13 activities, including the Cross Strait Youth Forum and the Cross Strait Sports Carnival, with over 2000 Taiwanese youth attending.
  Among them, there are both the "first generation" and "frequent generation", and no matter how many times they come, they all have new gains.
As Zhou Xiwei, Vice Chairman of Wangwang Group, said, focusing solely on communication between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait is far from enough. Not only communication, but also cooperation.  
Zhang Wensheng, Vice Dean of the Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University, stated that the Taiwan Strait Forum has gone through 16 years and the path of cross-strait civil exchanges has become wider and wider, reflecting the mainstream public opinion of the two sides that requires peace, development, exchange, and cooperation. National reunification and national rejuvenation are the common aspiration of Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, the trend of the times, and the inevitability of history.
Crossing the sea and heading towards each other; Join hands and work together to safeguard the common home of the Chinese nation.
The foundation of cross-strait relations lies in the people, the driving force lies in the people, and development relies on the people. The power of the people will eventually eliminate all obstacles on the path of advancing cross-strait relations. In the current increasingly complex and severe situation in the Taiwan Strait, the successful hosting of the 16th Cross Strait Forum sends a clear signal: with the support of the people, great things can be achieved, and compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait will inevitably get closer and closer! (Lai Xin She)