The Chinese mainland is glad to see that young people across the Taiwan Strait are getting closer through frequent visits and exchanges, a spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office said on Wednesday.
Zhu Fenglian, the spokeswoman, made the remarks in response to a media inquiry on the Taiwan-based Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation's invitation to faculty members and students from seven mainland universities to visit Taiwan in late November. This will be the second such visit planned by the foundation. In 2023, faculty members and students from five mainland universities were warmly received across Taiwan.
In 2023 and 2024, Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang, also led delegations of young people from Taiwan to visit the mainland.
"In April this year, Mr. Ma Ying-jeou led a delegation of youth to visit the mainland, creating an opportunity for young people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to forge deep friendship. Last week, the Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation invited faculty members and students from seven mainland universities including Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Fudan University to visit Taiwan. The mainland is committed to advocating and proactively promoting exchanges between young people from both sides of the Strait and is glad to see them getting closer through frequent visits and exchanges. The visit marks two-way efforts as youth from Taiwan are also looking forward to being visited by their mainland counterparts and they hope the delegation from the mainland can come to Taiwan for exchanges," said Zhu.
"We welcome more young people from Taiwan to visit the mainland, make friends and forge friendship. By doing so, they can deepen relations and mutual trust with their counterparts from the mainland through exchanges, which will contribute to promoting the peaceful and integrated development of the cross-Strait relations,"she said.
Mainland glad to see youth across Taiwan Strait getting closer through frequent exchanges: spokeswoman
The 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, which opened Tuesday in Zhuhai City of south China's Guangdong Province, showcases several advanced liquid-propellant rocket engines that promise to shape the future of space exploration.
Among the highlights is an 80-ton reusable liquid oxygen-methane engine, which stands out for its economic viability and potential for extensive application in reusable rocket designs. The efficiency of methane positions this engine as a pivotal component for future space missions.
"This engine's most significant feature is its complete reusability, with a capability of at least 50 uses. It has successfully gone through various development tests and is now ready for flight," said Song Dekun from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
The 80-ton liquid oxygen-methane engine is tailored for the burgeoning commercial space market, offering substantial thrust while being engineered for reusability. Next to it, another engine designed for commercial space endeavors is on display - a high-altitude engine utilizing liquid oxygen and kerosene as fuel.
"It has a thrust of 72 tons and will be used in the rocket's second stage. The first stage carries the rocket to altitudes of 50 to 60 kilometers, and the second stage operates from there up to 200 kilometers and even into low Earth orbit, where it must ignite in near-vacuum conditions, requiring precise ignition capabilities," said Liu Shang from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
Liu added that this engine is delivery-ready and is projected to undertake its inaugural flight in 2025, further solidifying China's position in the global aerospace landscape.
Popularly known as the Zhuhai Airshow, the premier aviation event has attracted 1,022 companies from 47 countries and regions this year, with Russia, France, the United States, Saudi Arabia and Italy participating in the air show in groups. The airshow is scheduled to last through Sunday.
Cutting-edge liquid-propellant rocket engines at Zhuhai Airshow to benefit future space travel
