Beijing pushes Taiwan exchanges at Straits Forum despite tightened restrictions

AI Summary

Beijing hosted the 18th Straits Forum aiming to strengthen people-to-people exchanges with Taiwan despite restrictions imposed by Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party banning Taiwanese officials from participating. The forum serves as a key platform to promote cross-strait integration across multiple sectors including culture and economics.

Beijing is seeking to expand people-to-people exchanges with Taiwan as it hosts hundreds from the island for an annual event, despite the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) banning Taiwanese officials from taking part. The Straits Forum, now in its 18th edition since 2009, is Beijing’s key platform for cross-strait people-to-people engagement, promoting exchanges in fields from culture to economics as part of its broader push for cross-strait integration. The main forum takes place on...