TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — About 2,000 Taiwanese will attend a cross-strait forum scheduled for next week in the city of Xiamen, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) said Thursday (July 7).

The 14th edition of the event will open on July 12 with main discussions to take place the following day, according to TAO Spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮). Representatives of Taiwan’s political parties had been invited, with guests taking part in the events in various formats, CNA reported.

The TAO said the 43 events would be grouped around four themes, including youth, grassroots, economic, and cultural exchanges, but it failed to provide information about the background of the guests from Taiwan.

The cross-strait forum used to take place in May or June, but over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the event being postponed to September 2020 and to December 2021. COVID travel restrictions and China’s belligerent stance against Taiwan will likely influence the mood at the forum, reports said.