Taiwan businesspeople urge greater partnership at trade fair in Tianjin

Representatives from Taiwan expressed a desire to boost cooperation with the Chinese mainland in fields such as intelligent manufacturing and high technology, as well as to deepen exchanges among young people and promote the peaceful advancement of cross-Strait reunification at the Tianjin-Taiwan Investment and Trade Fair, which opened in Tianjin on Wednesday.

Lee Cheng-hung, president of the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland, said the highlights in the "Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development" — including sci-tech innovation, green and low-carbon transition, and the building of a Healthy China — are aligned with the existing strengths and the future development of Taiwan-funded businesses.

Lee said Taiwan-funded enterprises will leverage their advantages in fields such as aviation machinery, biomedicine and petrochemicals to align with the plan's key development directives. He highlighted that the information technology application and innovation industry that the mainland is actively building is a key area that Taiwan businesses are watching closely, expecting to achieve a win-win collaboration through a strong alliance.

"We are very eager to seize the new opportunities of the 15th Five-Year Plan, leverage the leading role of top enterprises from both Tianjin and Taiwan, and collaborate to enhance and extend the industrial chain. By joining hands, we can complement each other's advantages and create a win-win situation," Lee said.

Beyond economic and trade cooperation, the Taiwan businesspeople attending the fair said they also place great importance on enhancing people-to-people exchanges and emotional bonds between compatriots on both sides of the Strait.

Lei Hung-i, chairman of the Taiwan Council for Industrial and Commercial Development, said the fair marked his first visit to Tianjin and his 10th time leading a delegation to the mainland for exchanges this year. He hopes to use the council's platform to bring more Taiwan entrepreneurs to the mainland, which he said can facilitate more cross-Strait cooperation and help young people from the island better understand the mainland, thereby further advancing peaceful cross-Strait reunification.

"The outcome of peaceful reunification is certain, but the process is very important. How to promote reunification peacefully is the current priority," he said, adding that strengthening exchanges and interactions between young people is one of the important ways to achieve this.

Lei said that Taiwan entrepreneurs are currently quite interested in cooperating in industries such as agriculture, smart manufacturing, and the health and wellness industry, and that high-tech related fields are also receiving significant attention.

"For now, they can start by making preliminary arrangements. The first step is to come, look around and get to know local friends," he said. "Ten years from now, as their positions in the company rise or they prepare to take over, they might think of having friends in Tianjin and plan to come back. This is a long-term plan."

Jing Ran, a young entrepreneur from Taiwan, established Daguo Elderly Care Technology (Tianjin) Co in Tianjin. Targeting the need to care for seniors as the nation's population continues to age, he operates about 20 elder care institutions nationwide, managing 1,800 beds in total.

"We hope to continue using Tianjin as our center to extend our services and products to more second- and third-tier cities, solving problems with elder care and nursing for the majority of ordinary people, and making a positive contribution to promoting the high-quality development of China's elder care sector," Jing said.

Song Tao, head of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said: "We have always been committed to the principle that the two sides of the Strait are one family, actively promoting cross-Strait economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation, fostering common interests, strengthening emotional bonds and promoting mutual understanding. We aim to create more development opportunities for our Taiwan compatriots and enable them to share in the fruits of development."

Zhang Haoyu contributed to this story.