Mainland, Taiwan youths gather at cross-Strait forum in Hangzhou

HANGZHOU, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Over 1,000 guests and youth representatives from both sides of the Taiwan Strait gathered in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, on Friday for a forum aimed at fostering mutual understanding.

Addressing the opening event of the eighth cross-Strait youth development forum, Pan Xianzhang, deputy chief of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, warmly welcomed young people from Taiwan and pledged to take more effective measures to promote exchanges and integration across the Taiwan Strait.

Pan called on youths on both sides of the Strait to firmly uphold the one-China principle and 1992 Consensus, oppose "Taiwan independence" separatism and external interference, and take an active part in cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation in all fields.

Noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the restoration of Taiwan, former chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang party Hung Hsiu-chu said that history has shown that division between the two sides of the Strait would only leave people to suffering and humiliation, and that the future of young people on both sides is closely tied to national rejuvenation.

Hung expressed the expectation that youths from across the Strait will bring greater hope for peaceful reunification through their joint efforts of interactions and exchanges.

The forum, running through July 15, features a cross-Strait baseball game alongside a series of workshops.