On July 10, 2025, the Cross-Strait Maritime Cultural Exchange Event concluded successfully at the Navigation College of Jimei University. Over 100 participants from the shipping industry, experts, scholars, and youth representatives from both sides of the Taiwan Strait engaged in a comprehensive cultural exchange, industrial collaboration, and talent interaction in the maritime field for the first time during the two-day event.
As one of the supporting activities of the 17th Straits Forum, this exchange featured a rich program with numerous highlights. Representatives from relevant associations, academic experts, and leaders of shipping enterprises across the Strait focused on the theme “Navigating the Future Together,” engaging in dialogues on topics such as maritime cultural heritage, shipping economic cooperation, crew industry development, civil search and rescue collaboration, and the green and intelligent transformation of shipping. They explored new opportunities and pathways for cooperation in the maritime sector, offering insights for the high-quality development of cross-strait shipping. The event also included a maritime culture exhibition, tracing the shared roots of cross-strait maritime culture, showcasing collaborative achievements, and envisioning the future of shipping, painting a vivid picture of the deep ties and integrated development between the two sides.
During the event, guests boarded a ship to tour the beautiful Xiamen Port, experiencing firsthand the modernization of port infrastructure and maritime traffic management. They also visited the construction platform of the Xiamen-Jinmen Bridge (Xiamen section) currently under development and observed a maritime search and rescue drill. Through simulations of water rescue, casualty evacuation, ship firefighting, and oil spill containment, participants gained an immersive understanding of the speed, precision, and safety of maritime rescue operations.
Yang Shenhua, Dean of the Navigation College at Jimei University, noted that the cross-strait maritime cultural exchange carries shared historical memories and cultural identity, embodying the Chinese nation’s maritime spirit of “striving for strength through the seas.” This event has deepened exchanges in maritime education, talent development, technological innovation, and cultural heritage between the two sides.
The Cross-Strait Maritime Cultural Exchange Event serves as a vital platform for dialogue and consensus-building among shipping professionals and a significant gathering for ideological and emotional exchanges between youth across the Strait. The inaugural success of this event holds groundbreaking significance in expanding new avenues for cross-strait maritime cooperation, exploring innovative models for shipping industry development and talent cultivation, and uniting the shipping communities on both sides in the journey toward becoming a maritime and shipping powerhouse, ultimately contributing to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
