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deputies from the taiwan delegation expressed confidence in national reunification and shared their expectations during a group meeting at the ongoing session of the national people's congress (npc) on march 9. yan ke, an npc deputy and vice president of the all-china federation of taiwan compatriots, emphasized the unstoppable shared aspiration of people across the taiwan strait to forge closer ties and the irreversible historical trend toward national reunification. she stated, "we steadfastly oppose separatist activities aimed at 'taiwan independence' and external intervention, aiming to uphold peace, deepen cross-strait integration, and promote national reunification." yan highlighted that the chinese mainland's gdp, exceeding 126 trillion yuan ($17.52 trillion) in 2023, presents vast opportunities for compatriots on both sides of the strait. "from january to november last year, more than 6,900 new investment projects from taiwan were approved on the mainland, with the actual utilized capital reaching $86.9 billion, a 39.9% year-on-year increase," yan explained. according to yan, cross-strait industrial cooperation has deepened, with taiwan entrepreneurs accelerating investment and optimizing their business structures on the mainland. taiwan enterprises on the mainland are operating with heightened confidence. yan further noted that in the post-covid-19 period of 2023, cross-strait exchanges became more dynamic, with approximately 3 million registered travelers, emphasizing the importance of continuing to foster cross-strait communication in various sectors. chen yunying, an npc deputy and former researcher at the china national academy of educational sciences, highlighted the ambitions of taiwan's youth to seek development opportunities on the mainland. she noted that due to her work, she frequently interacts with well-educated young people and professionals who increasingly see the mainland as an essential foundation for their development in education, employment, entrepreneurship, or business. "the mainland offers numerous opportunities across every province and city. young people are keen to come to the mainland and witness its significant development firsthand," chen said. chen outlined four favorable factors for taiwan compatriots wishing to develop on the mainland: china being the world's second-largest economy, the absence of language or cultural barriers, close proximity and convenient transportation, and the variety of opportunities across different sectors. "given the favorable development environment on the mainland, young people from taiwan should not confine themselves to a 36,000-square-kilometer island, thereby missing out on opportunities and a future," chen said. chen yongdong, an npc deputy and deputy head of the united front work department of the communist party of china xiamen municipal committee, underscored the importance of policy support in fostering cross-strait integration and national reunification. last year, the central authorities issued a circular on supporting fujian to explore new ways for advancing integrated development between the two sides of the strait and build a demonstration zone for integrated cross-strait development. the guideline emphasizes fujian's role as the first stop for taiwan compatriots and enterprises returning to the chinese mainland, encouraging it to use its unique advantages and leading role in interactions with taiwan. under this guidance, fujian aims to pioneer in providing taiwan compatriots and enterprises treatment equal to mainland residents and continue enhancing the well-being of taiwan compatriots, chen noted. according to chen, fujian supports taiwan compatriots in pursuing education, securing jobs, living, and engaging in social affairs within the province. "we welcome more students, teachers, medical workers and professional personnel from taiwan to come to fujian to explore better career opportunities," chen said. he mentioned that fujian will continue to improve its business environment, and support more taiwan enterprises in engaging in fujian-taiwan industrial and sci-tech innovation cooperation, particularly in agriculture and fisheries.
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