A forum on cross-Strait cooperation and development in the health industry, part of the 17th Straits Forum, was held in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, on June 14. He Wei, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and chairman of the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party Central Committee, addressed the opening ceremony.

He noted that the forum, as an integral part of the Straits Forum, continues to serve as a vital platform for broad-based exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. It reflects the mainstream public aspiration across the Strait for peace and development, he added.

He emphasized that the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and healthcare is rapidly evolving, offering vast development potential. From a theoretical perspective, AI, as a new generation of strategic innovation technology that simulates, extends, and augments human intelligence, is reshaping traditional productive forces and significantly enhancing efficiency. From a historical standpoint, AI is poised to drive a new wave of scientific and industrial revolutions, accelerating the shift toward intelligent modes of production and daily life, and ushering human society into the intelligent era. Practice wise, AI is increasingly empowering the healthcare sector across all stages — from drug and medical device research and development and production, to hospital diagnostics and management, public health services, and individual health management — playing a vital role in technological innovation across the field.

Co-hosted by the China Primary Health Care Foundation and the Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital affiliated with Xiamen University, this year's forum featured project signings, keynote speeches, thematic discussions, and field visits. Experts and scholars from both sides of the Strait delivered presentations on topics including sci-tech innovation benefiting public health, modernized hospital management supporting high-quality development, and boosting healthcare new quality productive forces through medical-engineering integration.