Traditional Chinese costume is demonstrated at an activity held during the 14th Straits Forum in Xiamen, Fujian province. CHINA DAILY 

People from all walks of life held exchanges across the Taiwan Straits at the 14th Straits Forum, which kicked off in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, on Tuesday with the main forum opened on Wednesday.

Themed on promoting people-to-people exchanges and deepening integrated development across the Taiwan Straits, the event was held online and offline. It attracted nearly 2,000 participants including officials, businesspeople and relevant representatives.

The event aims to assist close exchanges between people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, share development opportunities and promote integrated cross-Straits economic and social development, organizers said.

This year, the forum will hold 43 supporting activities focusing on four sectors of youth and grassroots communication and cultural and economic exchanges.

The forum continues to highlight communication among young people from across the Taiwan Straits, the deepened exchanges of the grassroots, the inheritance and promotion of cultures, and the integrated development in economic growth, according to the organizer.

The forum has built a bridge connecting youths across the Taiwan Straits and is a platform for young people to meet up and learn from each other, said Guo Wei, a member of the standing committee of the All-China Youth Federation. He was speaking at the 20th Straits Youth Forum, a supporting activity during the event.

"Each time I attend the forum, it feels like I'm participating in a class reunion," Guo said. He added that the forum plays a significant role in providing information.

Cheng Ting-wen, secretary-general of the Chinese Youth International in Taiwan, said the forum had become an important platform for promoting the cross-Straits youth exchanges.

"It helps young people from the two sides across the Taiwan Straits to know more about each other," Cheng said.

In addition, seminars on the integrated development of the cross-Straits digital economy and talented workers were held during the event.

The Straits Forum, which was first held in 2009, aims to deepen exchanges and cooperation and promote common development across the Taiwan Straits.