NANJING—Business leaders from across the Taiwan Strait gathered at the 2025 Cross-Strait CEO Summit this week, expressing robust confidence in mainland China’s economic future and committing to deepened industrial integration. Held in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, the annual conference served as a platform for entrepreneurs to align strategies with China’s forthcoming 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030).
Guo Jinlong, the mainland chairman of the summit, outlined how the next development blueprint emphasizes high-quality growth, comprehensive reform, and expanded openness. “A complete industrial chain will strengthen our foundation, while our vast market unleashes tremendous momentum,” Guo stated. He emphasized resilience against external challenges, urging collaborative effort: “The higher the waves, the more we need to work together in the same boat.”
Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, noted that discussions centered on how Taiwanese firms can integrate into China’s new development paradigm and participate in high-quality advancement. Attendees from Taiwan reportedly voiced strong belief in the mainland’s direction and pledged to sustain active economic engagement.
Testimonials from Taiwanese executives highlighted tangible benefits. Wah Chin, vice-president of Suyin KGI Consumer Finance, credited summit support for helping secure a consumer finance license between 2017 and 2019. “The mainland market has vast prospects,” he said, revealing that investment had already tripled and would continue growing. He called for further openness in cross-strait financial cooperation.
Poon Chung-kwong, chairman of Nanjing Lumicore Technology, urged young Taiwanese entrepreneurs to explore opportunities on the mainland, contrasting its dynamic environment with what he described as Taiwan’s “stagnant market.” His company has leveraged Taiwan’s hardware prowess alongside mainland algorithms to develop world-leading silicon-based OLED displays—a success he attributed to strait-spanning synergy.
Lei Hong-yi of the Council for Industrial and Commercial Development voiced a simple hope: “Less argument, fewer disputes, more money for everyone.”
Since its inception in Nanjing, the summit has catalyzed over 50 large-scale economic, cultural, and youth exchanges across 15 regions in the past year alone.