Ma Ying-jeou leads youth exchange visit

Taiwan delegation is scheduled to visit two provinces later this month

Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, will lead a group of Taiwan youth to the Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang and Sichuan later this month to participate in an ice-themed major event and engage in other exchange activities, a spokesperson from the Chinese mainland announced on Wednesday.

This will be Ma's second visit to the mainland this year, following an 11-day trip starting from the end of March, during which he led a Taiwan youth delegation to Guangdong, Shaanxi and Beijing. The visit concluded with a meeting between Ma and Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Last week, a delegation of mainland college students, including Olympic table tennis champion Ma Long and shooting champion Yang Qian, completed a nine-day visit to Taiwan.

Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, confirmed at a regular news briefing that Ma's upcoming visit will occur from Dec 18 to 26. She welcomed Ma's visit and assured that all activities would be well-arranged.

Zhu emphasized that China has a long history, rich culture, vast territory and magnificent landscapes, making it a shared homeland for compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. She added that the youth on both sides represent the future of cross-Strait relations.

"We hope that compatriots on both sides, especially young people, will frequently interact and visit each other, inherit and promote excellent traditional Chinese culture, enhance exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and contribute to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," Zhu said.

Hsiao Hsu-tsen, executive director of the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, said in a news release that, amid global tensions, cross-Strait relations are more important. He emphasized that, as Ma has said, the more exchanges and profound understanding there are between young people across the Strait, the fewer conflicts there will be in the future.

During this visit, Ma and the Taiwan youths will participate in an ice-themed event in Heilongjiang, China's northeasternmost province, which will be attended by young people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Zhu said the event, taking place from Dec 18 to 24, will include activities such as a short video exhibition, an exchange seminar with cross-Strait youths, and a tour of venues for the 9th Asian Winter Games.

"Currently, it is expected that around 1,000 participants, mostly young people, will participate in the ice-themed activities," Zhu said.

Just days ago, from Nov 27 to Dec 5, a delegation of 40 teachers and students from seven mainland universities, including Tsinghua University, visited Taiwan. The group engaged in exchanges with their Taiwan peers, visited universities, and toured historical and cultural sites, including the Taipei Confucius Temple.

Zhu noted that the visit was warmly welcomed and actively supported by various sectors in Taiwan. "The people of Taiwan have felt the youthful energy of mainland youths, represented by Olympic champions Ma Long and Yang Qian, and their sincerity and goodwill in understanding Taiwan," she said.

She cited several Taiwan children who expressed a desire to learn table tennis in the mainland after receiving signed paddles from Ma.

Meanwhile, the mainland delegation also experienced the warmth and friendliness of the Taiwan people and their genuine willingness to engage with the mainland, the spokeswoman said.

Zhu said that the mainland group members received many handwritten letters, postcards and well-prepared small gifts from Taiwan people.

"Many young people from Taiwan and mainland delegation members agreed to meet again next year, looking forward to more exchanges across the Strait," Zhu said. "Their actions and efforts have promoted cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, brought compatriots closer and demonstrated deep affection."

The mainland will continue to support and promote cross-Strait youth exchanges, providing more platforms and opportunities for mutual learning and interaction so that young people on both sides can make greater contributions to the peaceful and integrated development of cross-Strait relations, according to the mainland official.