TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kuomintang (KMT) Vice-chair Andrew Hsia (夏立言) attended the 15th Straits Forum in Xiamen, China, on Friday (June 16) and said that both the U.S. and the KMT believe it is important for parties on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to engage in exchange and dialogue.

Hsia said that this year’s forum marks the first time a Taiwanese delegation has participated in the event in person since the pandemic, and claimed that attending will help improve stability, peace, and prosperity for both sides of the Taiwan Strait, per the Liberty Times. As with previous visits, Hsia said he will be advocating for Taiwanese small and medium enterprises, farmers, fishers, and students during his trip.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has criticized the trip, and a spokesperson said the Straits Forum is a way the CCP’s United Front Work Department seeks to influence Taiwan, per CNA. The spokesperson said the DPP supports healthy and structured exchanges, and called on the KMT to prioritize Taiwan’s interests while warning against echoing United Front propaganda.

KMT Chair Eric Chu (朱立倫) said on Wednesday that the DPP was creating unnecessary roadblocks to communication between both sides of the strait, and that the party had tried to discredit the KMT and others who will participate in the forum, a sentiment echoed by Chinese state media on Thursday. “The Straits Forum … has provided an opportunity for mutual understanding, allowing us to resolve misunderstandings, and create a win-win situation,” he said.

Hsia’s delegation left Taiwan on Friday morning (June 16) and included senior KMT advisor and former Governor of Fujian Province Lin Chu-chia (林祖嘉), former Kinmen Country Magistrate Yang Cheng-wu (楊鎮浯), and Taitung County Mayor Yao Ching-ling (饒慶鈴).

As a Taiwanese administrative unit, Fujian Province was dissolved in 2018. The parts of Fujian that remain under the control of the Taiwan government are the islands of Kinmen and Matsu, both of which are under 10 km from China’s coast.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said it had invited more than 5,000 Taiwanese to attend the forum. The office said it had invited a number of Taiwanese political parties, including Ko We-je’s Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), though the TPP has denied this.

The Straits Forum is an annual and nominally non-political exchange between China and Taiwan that has been held since 2009. According to Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, the event is used to support Chinese efforts to unify Taiwan and China, and oppose Taiwanese independence.