Cross-Strait joint interview held in Sichuan

A joint interview involving journalists from the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong was held in Sichuan province from Sept 3 to Sept 7, which aimed to present opportunities to witness the growth in Sichuan.

Themed "Looking at Achievements of Reform and Development Through Sichuan," the event hosted by the Taiwan Affairs Office of Sichuan provincial government drew more than 30 journalists from more than 20 media units on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong to Guang'an, Mianyang, Deyang, Neijiang and Chengdu cities in Sichuan.

They learned about the achievements of the reform, opening-up and modernization in Sichuan, explored development opportunities of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, experienced the comfortable life of Sichuan people and success stories of Taiwan compatriots in Sichuan.

This year marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of Deng Xiaoping, chief architect of China's reform, opening-up and modernization drive who was a native of Guang'an.

It was quite meaningful to start the joint interview in Guang'an, said Sun Shuxue, deputy chief of the Taiwan Affairs Office of Sichuan provincial government.

Visitors to Xiangyang town in Guanghan, a city under the administration of Deyang in Sichuan, were impressed with its clean environment and numerous restaurants crowded with diners.

They found it unimaginable that locals on this fertile land in the Sichuan Basin suffered from starvation from the late 1950s to the late 1970s.

It was due to a shortage of food that Xiangyang, then a people's commune, tried the household responsibility system in the late 1970s and became the first in China to abolish the commune in 1980, heralding the country's rural reform.

Sun said reform in China began in Sichuan and new opportunities for reform and development were also in the province.

Sichuan is creating multiple strategic opportunities for development, such as the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, the Belt and Road Initiative, a new round of western development and opening up, and a national strategic hinterland, and continues to provide a high-quality business environment for Taiwan businessmen and enterprises, Taiwan compatriots and young people to come to Sichuan, he said.

Wei Youde, a journalist from Taiwan's ETtoday, has visited Sichuan many times over the years, and each time has a deep experience.

For over 10 years, he has seen the culture of giant pandas, traditional Chinese medicine, Sichuan cuisine and witnessed the rapid development of the Tianfu New Area, Ganzi Tibetan autonomous prefecture, and Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture in Sichuan.

"Guang'an is Deng Xiaoping's hometown, and it is precisely in the course of reform and opening-up that Taiwan businesspeople and enterprises have become the forerunners of cross-strait nongovernmental exchanges," he said.