Nearly two thousand participants from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan are gathering at the south-eastern coastal city of Xiamen to attend the 8th Cross Strait Forum.

The week-long forum aims to boost people-to-people exchanges and promote development across the Taiwan Strait. Officials and industry representatives as well as young entrepreneurs in various areas are taking part in the event. 

During the opening ceremony, top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng stressed the important role of the 1992 Consensus in ensuring the peaceful development of cross-Strait ties.

The "Belt and Road" Initiative, free-trade zones, and financial issues will also be covered in the forum.