The main conference of the 17th Straits Forum opened in the coastal city of Xiamen of east China's Fujian Province on Sunday, focusing on expanding people-to-people exchanges and deepening integrated development across the Taiwan Strait.
At the forum, many guests delivered speeches on cross-Strait relations, especially on expanding cross-Strait people-to-people exchanges and promoting integrated development.
More than 7,000 people from all walks of life in Taiwan have been invited to participate in the event. Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, also led a delegation of young people from the Taiwan region to attend the forum.
Forum participants include representatives from political parties, labor unions and youth organizations, as well as professionals from various industries and members of religious communities.
Fifty-six exchange and communication activities will be held during the forum.
The activities include cross-Strait forums on the people and workers, and the friendship activities of villages with the same name on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, which will enhance the mutual understanding between the people on both sides of the Strait and bring them closer.
At present, Fujian is stepping up the construction of a demonstration zone for cross-Strait integrated development.
The forum will also hold a series of activities to share the stories of the construction of the demonstration zone.
17th Straits Forum opens in Xiamen, focusing on cross-Strait integrated development
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday unveiled a draft 20-point peace plan for ending the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, stressing that the document remains a framework and that its provisions could be revised during future negotiations.
Speaking at a press briefing in Kiev, Zelensky said the document reflects to a large extent the shared positions of Ukraine and the United States and acknowledged that several key issues remain unresolved.
According to the president, the draft includes provisions reaffirming Ukraine' sovereignty and establishing a mechanism to monitor the contact line to ensure long-term peace. It also proposes strong security guarantees for Ukraine, maintaining the size of Ukraine's armed forces at 800,000 personnel in peacetime, and security assurances from the U.S., NATO and Europe similar to NATO's Article Five collective defense clause.
Also included in the plan are issues such as Ukraine's accession to the European Union with a clear time frame; the establishment of multiple funds totaling 800 billion U.S. dollars for economic recovery, reconstruction and humanitarian needs; accelerated negotiations on a Ukraine-U.S. free trade agreement; Ukraine's continued non-nuclear status, joint operation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant by Ukraine, the U.S. and Russia, and early elections in Ukraine.
Territorial issues are also addressed in the draft, though Zelensky said they remain unresolved.
The draft also raises the possibility of establishing a "free economic zone" in the Donbas region.
On Wednesday, Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine would not agree to any provision requiring it to abandon its aspiration to join NATO. He said ending the conflict would require an agreement among Ukraine, the U.S., Europe and Russia, while NATO membership is a decision for NATO member states.
Zelensky added that Ukraine seeks a clear timetable for joining the European Union, which he described as the country's true security guarantees. He said the draft peace plan would be submitted to parliament for approval or put to a nationwide referendum.
On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been briefed about contacts with President Donald Trump's envoys on U.S. proposals for a possible Ukrainian peace deal.
Russia has the conditions to clarify its position and will continue to advance the negotiation process through existing channels, according to Peskov who did not comment on the new 20-point draft plan.
"All the main parameters of the Russian side's position are well known to our colleagues from the United States," Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.
Zelensky unveils new 20-point draft peace plan
