Cross-Strait exchanges encouraged to enhance mutual trust: mainland spokesperson

BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson Wednesday said that more support will be provided to encourage cross-Strait exchanges and enhance mutual trust between people on both sides.

People-to-people interactions serve as an internal impetus driving the development of cross-Strait relations, said Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press conference.

Although mutual travel and visits across the Strait have yet to return to normal due to COVID-19 and obstruction by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities, exchange activities online and offline this summer have attracted wide participation among people on both sides, particularly the youth, Zhu said.

Summer internship programs offered by the mainland have gained popularity among students from Taiwan, the spokesperson said.

In Jiangsu Province, over 200 enterprises and public institutions provided 739 internship positions covering science and technology, finance, medical services, and news media.

In Hubei Province, the provincial high people's court offered two-month internship opportunities to Taiwan students studying in universities on the mainland.