Macao hosted a cross-Strait youth exchange event from Aug 19 to 20 to commemorate the 160th birth anniversary of Sun Yat-sen, enabling young people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to learn more about Sun's historical ties with Macao and Taiwan and fostering dialogue and mutual understanding among them.

The event was jointly hosted by the Chinese Culture Development Promotion Association of Macao and the Hengqin Cross-Strait Youth Cultural Exchange Center. Ho Hau Wah, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, attended the opening ceremony. About 500 experts, scholars, youth representatives and people from various sectors from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao participated in the event, including more than 100 guests from Taiwan.

The event also featured a series of youth forums, an exhibition of archival materials on Sun's ties with Taiwan, an exhibition of selected overseas Chinese correspondence from the collection of the Guangdong Provincial Archives, and guided tours highlighting Sun's historical connections with Macao. Through these activities, participants explored Sun's historical legacy and ideas while promoting exchanges among young people. The event also yielded tangible economic and trade outcomes. The Fangyuan Farmers' Association in Changhua county, Taiwan, signed memorandums of understanding on purchase intentions with three Macao-based enterprises, further expanding trade in agricultural products between Macao and Taiwan.

Zhang Zongzhen, president of the Chinese Culture Development Promotion Association of Macao, said Sun's ideas have had a profound influence on China's modernization and provided an important cultural and spiritual foundation for cross-Strait exchanges. He expressed the hope that Macao would continue to serve as a platform for exchanges, helping young people on both sides deepen mutual understanding through cultural and historical exchanges and jointly preserve and promote fine traditional Chinese culture.

Wang Jin-pyng, senior adviser of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT), said in a congratulatory message that Sun was a national hero revered by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and that his patriotism and aspiration for national rejuvenation remain a valuable spiritual legacy. Macao, Wang said, was an important place where Sun practiced medicine and devoted himself to the revolutionary cause, adding that the commemorative event revisited Sun's historical activities in Macao, ma

Hsiao Hsu-tsen, vice-chairman of the KMT, said via video link that Sun devoted his life to revitalizing China and that his ideas remain relevant today. He called for continued cross-Strait exchanges and deeper communication and cooperation, saying people on both sides should build on their shared cultural heritage, common sentiments and sense of national identity to work together for a harmonious future.