The 9th cross-Strait grassroots governance forum, co-hosted by the Committee on Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Fujian Provincial Committee of the CPPCC, was held in Xiamen in East China's Fujian province on June 13.

More than 400 grassroots representatives and people from various sectors across the Taiwan Strait gathered to exchange views on sustainable development and emergency coordination in rural areas across the Strait. Su Hui, vice-chairwoman of the CPPCC National Committee and chairwoman of the Central Committee of the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League, attended the event and delivered a speech.

Su noted that China is among the countries most severely affected by natural disasters, facing a wide variety of disasters that occur across vast regions with high frequency and often result in heavy losses. Confronted with complex and grave disaster risks, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee has approached disaster response from the strategic standpoint of realizing national rejuvenation, she said.

Adhering to the principles of putting people and their lives first, balancing development and security, and promoting harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature, the CPC Central Committee has strengthened the building of safe villages and improved the governance system and capabilities across multiple fronts, including disaster prevention and mitigation projects, digitalization of emergency management, and development of self-rescue and mutual-aid capabilities, Su said.

Su pointed out that rural areas serve as homes for sustenance and reproduction, fortresses against risks, and vast stages for realizing dreams. There is ample room for exchange and cooperation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait in areas such as grassroots disaster early warning, community emergency mobilization and post-disaster psychological recovery, she said.

More compatriots from Taiwan are warmly welcomed to engage in the rural vitalization drive on the Chinese mainland, so that people across the Strait can learn from each other's good practices and experiences in disaster prevention and mitigation, emergency governance and social coordination, and share the development opportunities and achievements of Chinese modernization, Su said.