A cross-Strait taekwondo communication match is held as a part of the 14th Straits Forum. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 15th Straits Forum — the biggest grassroots exchange event across the Taiwan Strait held after the COVID-19 pandemic — got underway on June 16 in Xiamen, Fujian province.

The main conference will commence on June 17 in the coastal city of Xiamen, which is located across the sea from Taiwan.

About 5,000 guests from various sectors in Taiwan, including representatives from political parties, co-sponsors of the event, professionals from different industries, and members of religious circles, will participate in the cross-Strait event.

Starting from Friday, 51 exchange activities focused on promoting cultural and economic exchanges among the youth from both sides will take place during the event.

Co-hosted by 84 institutions from both sides of the Strait, the forum will offer more than 1,200 jobs and 1,000 internship and training opportunities to young people from Taiwan.

This year's forum is again themed on promoting people-to-people exchanges, deepening integrated development across the Taiwan Strait, and fostering cooperation across diverse sectors.