Skip to Content Facebook Feature Image

Delegation of mainland students, teachers invites Taiwan compatriots to make cross-Strait visit

China

China

China

Delegation of mainland students, teachers invites Taiwan compatriots to make cross-Strait visit

2024-12-07 00:07 Last Updated At:05:17

A delegation of 40 students and teachers from seven Chinese mainland universities, who just concluded their exchange visit to Taiwan, has extended a warm invitation to their Taiwanese friends to visit the mainland and expressed their heartfelt hope of reconnecting with both old and new friends from Taiwan in the future.

The delegation completed their nine-day visit to Taiwan on Thursday. On Friday, the group of students and teachers participated in media interviews in Beijing, sharing their experiences from the exchange tour.

During their visit, which started on Nov. 27, they toured universities, historical sites, scenic spots, and sports, sci-tech, and cultural venues across the island, while actively engaging with locals throughout the trip.

The delegation, led by Qiu Yong, secretary of the Communist Party of China Tsinghua University Committee, made the trip at the invitation of the Taiwan-based Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation.

Speaking at the farewell dinner on Wednesday, Qiu remarked on how the mainland students and teachers experienced both the deep bond between compatriots on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and the unique charm of the island.

He called for more opportunities for young people on both sides of the Strait to learn from each other, increased efforts to strengthen the spiritual bond between mainland and Taiwan compatriots through Chinese cultural traditions, and enhanced cross-Strait educational cooperation.

The delegation included table tennis Olympic champion Ma Long, who studies at Beijing Sport University, and air rifle Olympic champion Yang Qian, from Tsinghua University, along with mainland students and teachers from Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhejiang University, Fujian Normal University, and Beijing Sport University.

"I believe even Ma Long himself did not expect table tennis to be so popular in Taiwan. We specifically arranged a table tennis exchange activity between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, where Ma Long and former Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou opened the match. Personally, I am also a table tennis enthusiast. It shows that both sides of the Strait share a common cultural and historical background and have many similar preferences and interests in many aspects, " said Qiu.

The visit has also fostered personal connections. Peng Yihang, a Tsinghua University student, received many small gifts from people in Taiwan before her departure, which deeply touched her.

"(A friend) gave me a coin from Taiwan, and at the time, I was a bit puzzled and asked if the coin was for buying milk tea. Later, when I read his letter, I understood that the pronunciation of 'five yuan' in the Minnan dialect is actually very similar to that of destiny in Mandarin. I believe it signifies that 'fate brings people together no matter how far apart they may be,' and I hope we can meet again," said Peng.

Minnan dialect, or Hokkien, is a language widely spoken in southern Fujian Province and parts of Taiwan in China and in many overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asian countries.

It was the second such visit organized by the Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation. In 2023, faculty members and students from five mainland universities were warmly received across Taiwan.

In 2023 and 2024, Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang, also led youth groups from Taiwan on visits to the mainland.

Delegation of mainland students, teachers invites Taiwan compatriots to make cross-Strait visit

Delegation of mainland students, teachers invites Taiwan compatriots to make cross-Strait visit

Next Article

China ready to push ties with Argentina to higher level: FM

2025-02-15 22:02 Last Updated At:22:37

China is ready to work with Argentina to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and bring the bilateral relations to a new level, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

This will benefit the people of the two countries and help China and Latin America achieve common development and prosperity, Wang said. He made the remarks during a meeting with his Argentine counterpart Gerardo Werthein on the sidelines of the ongoing Munich Security Conference.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the Chinese and Argentine people have enjoyed a long-standing friendship, and China-Argentina cooperation is equal and mutually beneficial.

Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Argentine President Javier Milei held a meeting and reached important consensus on consolidating and developing bilateral relations, said Wang.

China is willing to work with Argentina to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and strengthen exchanges at the high level and in all fields, so as to bring the bilateral relations to a new level and better benefit the people of both countries, he said.

Wang also said the two sides should continue to respect and accommodate each other's core interests and major concerns, and continuously consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations.

Wang pointed out that China does not seek spheres of influence, nor does it participate in geopolitical competition. In international affairs, China firmly practices multilateralism and is willing to work with Latin American countries, including Argentina, to firmly safeguard the international rule of law and the basic norms of international relations, he said.

Wang noted that China-Argentina relations are an important part of China-Latin America relations. Over the past decade since its establishment, the China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Forum has effectively promoted China-Latin America cooperation and brought tangible benefits to the people of both sides, he said.

China is willing to work with Latin American countries to support the development and growth of the China-CELAC Forum, helping China and Latin America achieve common development and prosperity, said Wang.

Werthein said that Argentina attaches great importance to its relations with China, and looks forward to strengthening high-level exchanges and deepening pragmatic cooperation with China.

Noting that Argentina appreciates China's support for Argentina's defense of its sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands, Werthein said Argentina firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is willing to become a reliable and stable cooperative partner of China.

Werthein also said that Argentina will play an active role in promoting the development of Latin America-China relations on the basis of strengthening bilateral relations.

China ready to push ties with Argentina to higher level: FM

China ready to push ties with Argentina to higher level: FM

Recommended Articles