国内英语新闻:Senior Chinese official calls for more cross-Strait cultural exchange, cooperation

XIAMEN, June 19 (Xinhua) -- A senior Chinese official has called for more cultural exchanges and cooperation between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

Top political advisor Jia Qinglin made the remark during a visit to the Third Cross-Strait Cultural Industry Fair that opened in Xiamen of southeast Fujian Province on Saturday.

Jia, also a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said the two sides of the Taiwan Strait share the same cultural root.

Jia also announced Saturday the opening of the second grassroots-level Straits Forum in this coastal city.

Jia Qinglin, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), dances with participants from Taiwan during his visit to the 3rd Cross-Strait Cultural Industry Fair in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, on June 19, 2010.

There is huge potentials for the mainland and Taiwan to conduct cooperation in cultural industry, Jia said, calling for joint efforts from both sides of the Strait to develop cultural industry and improve international competitiveness and influence of the Chinese culture.

Jia also called on both sides to tap traditional Chinese cultural resources and establish cultural name brands with characteristics of the Chinese nation, so to strengthen the cohesiveness of the Chinese nation.

The cross-Strait cultural industry fair was initiated in 2008 and has become an important communication platform for cultural industrial circles from both sides of the Strait.

The current fair attracted more than 2,000 cultural companies from the mainland and Taiwan.