Top political advisor to attend June cross-Straits forum

Top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng will take part in the week-long 6th Strait Forum, which will kick off on June 15 in the coastal city of Xiamen in southeast China's Fujian Province, a spokeswoman from the Chinese mainland said on Wednesday.

Yu is chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

A number of politicians from Taiwan, including Kuomintang Vice Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu, will attend the upcoming forum, said Fan Liqing, spokeswoman of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a regular press conference.

Taiwan's People First Party Secretary-General Chin Ching-sheng, New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming, and Non-Partisan Solidarity Union Chairman Lin Pin-kun will also take part in the event, Fan said.

The forum will feature an array of activities on grassroots exchanges between the mainland and Taiwan, according to the spokeswoman.

Fan highlighted two large-scale activities to be held during the event.

A culture week to revere Matsu, the Chinese goddess of the sea, will be held from June 12 with the participation of more than 13,000 people, including over 8,600 from Taiwan.

Matsu, or Mazu in Mandarin Chinese, is widely revered in Taiwan and other coastal regions of southern China.

The other is a cross-Strait temple fair which will be held simultaneously in the cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou in Fujian Province.