Over 7,000 people from Taiwan set to participate in 17th Straits Forum: spokesperson

BEIJING, June 11 (Xinhua) -- More than 7,000 people from all walks of life in Taiwan are expected to participate in the 17th Straits Forum, set to be held in east China's Fujian Province starting this weekend, a mainland spokesperson said on Wednesday.

This year's forum will continue the theme of expanding people-to-people exchanges and deepening integrated development across the Taiwan Strait, said Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, at a press conference.

Forum participants will include representatives from political parties, labor unions and youth organizations, as well as professionals from various industries and members of religious communities, according to Zhu.

The main conference is scheduled to be held on June 15, with the primary venue set up in the coastal city of Xiamen in Fujian, Zhu said, adding that 56 exchange and communication activities will be held during the forum.