The mainland's determination in further promoting reform and opening up, which was highlighted in the resolution adopted in the third plenary session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Thursday, has deeply impressed compatriots of all walks of life in Taiwan.
On Friday, multiple mainstream newspapers in Taiwan have featured relevant news on their front pages, and research institutions and universities have also been holding seminars focusing on the plenum.
"I think it is very meaningful for the mainland to hold the third Plenum in a timely manner to lay down the most important policies and plans for future economic development in the face of an anemic global economy. I think the most important parts of the resolution is deepening reform comprehensively and advancing Chinese modernization. Meanwhile, entrepreneurs in Taiwan attach great importance to two points - to comprehensively promote the construction of the rule of law system and opening up," said Deng Daixian, secretary-general of the Straits Economic and Cultural Interchange Association.
The data released by the General Administration of Customs (GAC) showed that the trade volume between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan reached 132.68 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2024.
Mainland exports to Taiwan were 36 billion dollars, up 11.6 percent year on year, while mainland imports from Taiwan reached 96.67 billion dollars, up 6.2 percent year on year.
As a result, entrepreneurs and young people from Taiwan who are working and developing in the mainland attach high significance to the mainland's determination in deepening its reform and opening-up.
"Since the launch of reform and opening-up, the mainland has attracted the most advanced technologies and world leading companies, either from the service industry or the manufacturing industry, to develop in the mainland. I think the opening up policy has enabled the mainland to attract the elites from across the world to take roots and thrive in the mainland, which eventually makes the mainland a driver to the global economic growth. Therefore, the third plenary session has not only planned the economic development direction for the mainland, but will also provide directions for the development of neighboring economies," said Deng.
Compatriots in Taiwan acclaim mainland's further reform agenda
Chinese President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit resonated with the common aspiration of more than 2.8 billion Chinese and African people and demonstrated China's firm will of moving forward hand-in-hand with Africa along the path of development, revitalization and modernization, several participants at the event have said.
In his speech on Thursday, Xi proposed that bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China be elevated to the level of strategic relations, and that the overall characterization of China-Africa relations be elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.
He also announced that the Chinese government will provide 360 billion yuan (about 50.8 billion U.S. dollars) of financial support to Africa over the next three years.
"Everyone was happy to hear those news, so everyone was clapping. So now we are going to a higher level of relations between China and Africa," said Hamidou, a counselor at the Embassy of Comoros in Beijing.
"China understands Africa's urgent desire to advance modernization. We can learn a lot from China's development," said Foreign Minister of Burkina Faso Karamoko Jean Marie Traore.
Xi also suggested 10 partnership actions for modernization that China will take together with Africa in the next three years to deepen China-Africa cooperation and spearhead modernization in the Global South.
"President Xi, through his long vision of the needs of countries and his interest in supporting development, has offered this as a real vehicle to promote exports of Africa to China, which is a huge market," said Alaa Ezz, secretary general of the Union of African Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture, and Professions (UACCIAP).
"As he told this morning, we have many projects in digitalization, in capacity building, in health centers, support for health, for infrastructure, in the framework of the Belt and [Road]. And we think that we are very satisfied with this partnership. This is a win-win partnership," said Gabriel Mbairobe, Cameroon's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Held in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday, the 2024 FOCAC summit brought together leaders from China and over 50 African countries, who highlighted the common pursuit of China and African countries in realizing modernization.
During the summit, both sides unanimously adopted two important documents -- a declaration on jointly building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, and an action plan of the FOCAC for the next three years.
Xi's speech at FOCAC summit resonates with people's common aspiration: participants
