Mainland supports cross-Strait film, TV exchanges, cooperation: spokesman

The mainland supports exchanges and cooperation on films and television across the Taiwan Strait, and hopefully more high-quality mainland films can be screened to the audience in Taiwan, said Chen Binhua, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.

Chen's remarks came as the mainland hit film "Dear You" is set to premiere in August at the Taoyuan Film Festival, receiving a warm welcome and anticipation from Taiwan moviegoers.

The film, known as "Love Letters to Grandma" in Chinese, centers on Xiaowei, a young man who travels to Thailand to find his long-lost grandfather, only to discover a trove of decades-old letters revealing secrets of romance, sacrifice, filial piety, and the enduring bonds of family.

With its heartfelt portrayal of family value, the Chaoshan (Teochew)-dialect film has quickly gained traction since its release, striking a deep chord with Chinese people both at home and abroad.

"We hope Taiwan audience can see their grandparents' and great-grandparents' experiences reflected in the film 'Dear You', understanding their attachment to their ancestral homeland, their care for relatives and friends, and recognize that Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have shared culture and emotions. We actively support the cross-Strait film and television exchanges and cooperation, and hope that more high-quality mainland films can be screened in Taiwan," Chen said.

Mainland supports cross-Strait film, TV exchanges, cooperation: spokesman

The number of sterling millionaires in Britain has fallen to its lowest level since the 2008 global financial crisis, according to new figures released Tuesday by the Adam Smith Institute.

The think tank's latest Millionaire Tracker, based on updated data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), estimated that Britain now has 442,000 sterling millionaires, down 7 percent from 2024.

The institute attributed the decline to falling real asset prices, a low household savings rate and the emigration of high-net-worth individuals.

"Millionaires are leaving the UK for a number of reasons, including high levels of current taxation, threats of further increases (including a wealth tax), the abolition of the non-dom regime, and a culture which is hostile to wealth creators," the institute said in its report.

Mitchell Palmer, an economist at the institute, said the decline should be seen as "a warning signal."

He said every millionaire that leaves means less capital for British businesses, fewer international connections, and weaker entrepreneurial spirit in the economy.

He warned that proposals such as introducing a wealth tax or aligning capital gains tax rates with income tax would further accelerate the outflow of wealth, and called instead for policies that encourage ambitious individuals to build and retain their wealth in Britain.

Number of UK millionaires falls to lowest level since global financial crisis