The 7th Forum on Chinese Culture kicked off on Thursday at Peking University in Beijing. Photo: courtesy of Peking University

The head of Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council Liu Jieyi on Thursday stressed that compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits should strengthen cultural confidence and resolutely oppose all kinds of "de-Sinicization" and other Taiwan secessionist attempts.

Liu, who is also head of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, expressed the above position in a congratulatory letter to an annual forum which aims at promoting cross-Straits exchanges.

Themed "carry forward Chinese civilization and build a cultural power," the 7th Forum on Chinese Culture was held on Thursday at Peking University in Beijing, with over 150 scholars and experts from across the Straits participating online and offline. 

Liu said that compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits should further enhance cultural exchanges and cooperation, and jointly promote the innovative and prosperous development of Chinese culture, in the process of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the complete reunification of the motherland.

Huang Zhixian, head of the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots, also addressed the forum. He said that people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits share a common Chinese cultural gene and that no one and no force can change that fact. 

Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits are one family, and there is no insoluble knot between family members. The inclusive Chinese culture will surely play a huge role in promoting the peaceful reunification, Huang said. He noted that to solve the Taiwan question and achieve the complete reunification is the will of the Chinese people.

Liu Chao-shiuan, former head of Taiwan's executive body, participated online, congratulating on the successful holding of the forum against the backdrop of the COVID-19 epidemic, saying the forum is playing an important role in cross-Straits cultural exchanges and peaceful development.

Despite heightened tensions across the Taiwan Straits as the secessionist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority continues to challenge the mainland's bottom line and seek secession by relying on the US, the Chinese mainland and Taiwan continue to conduct exchanges through various channels, in a sign of the mainland's goodwill.

In December, the mainland and Taiwan jointly held the Shanghai-Taipei City Forum, and a forum of top cross-Straits entrepreneurs in Nanjing, and the 13th Straits Forum, demonstrating the strong public support for cross-Straits exchanges.

The event held at Peking University is also part of the events to promote cross-Straits relations. According to Professor Li Yihu, head of the forum organizing committee and dean of the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Peking University, the forum aims to better implement the strategic goal of building China into a cultural power, and promote the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, integrated development and peaceful reunification of the motherland. 

Due to the epidemic, the forum adopts an online and offline approach, with the main venue at Peking University and sub-venues in Taipei and Kaohsiung in Taiwan island. Experts and scholars from both sides of the Taiwan Straits participated in various forms such as video link, participation in separate sessions, video recording in advance, and submission of papers.