President Xi delivered a keynote speech on the 40th anniversary of the issue of the Message to Compatriots in Taiwan.

According to Li Wenhui, the Shanghai Municipal Taiwan Affairs Office Director, the city is striving to implement the President’s guidance and to build closer ties with Taiwanese compatriots.

In the future, Shanghai will gradually grant Taiwanese compatriots the equivalent citizen status as a local Shanghai citizen in various aspects, while encouraging more Taiwanese enterprises to participate in the development of the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone, as well as the city’s efforts to build itself into a global financial center. In particular, the city is pondering over policies to encourage Taiwanese enterprises to become listed on the newly launched science and technology innovation board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

In the meantime, Shanghai and Taiwan will enhance cooperation in such emerging industries of strategic importance as integrated circuits, artificial intelligence and biopharmaceutical industries.

Li Biying, the Chairman of the Shanghai Committee of the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League, said that the organization will continue to capitalize on the advantages brought by good relationships between fellow compatriots to further boost socioeconomic development across the straits. At the same time they will implement the 55 preferential measures to promote cooperative exchanges between Shanghai and Taiwan released by Shanghai's Taiwan Affairs Office last year to create a good business environment for Taiwanese businesses.