Senior officials and experts from the Chinese mainland and?Taiwan promised at an ongoing forum to further promote the peaceful reunification of the country and expand exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Straits.

They also commemorated the 150th anniversary of Sun Yat-sen's birth during the third Zhongshan Cross-Straits Forum, which is being held in the prosperous city in Guangdong from Thursday to Saturday.

The three-day event is expected to strengthen cultural bonds across the Taiwan Straits.

Qi Xuchun, vice-chairman of China's top political advisory body, said Sun is not only a great national hero and patriot, but also the forerunner of China's democratic revolution and an instrumental player in overthrowing the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), ending feudalism in the country.

"Sun is respected by all Chinese people around the world," Qi told the forum.

Zhang Zhijun, head of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said Sun's spirit and thoughts will always encourage Chinese people to seek national unity and fight against separatists.

Sun's spirit and thoughts are the common wealth of both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, Zhang said.

"Adherence to the 1992 Consensus is the political foundation for peaceful development and stability of cross-Straits relations and also for both sides of the Taiwan Straits to carry out substantial positive interactions," said Zhang.

Zhu Xiaodan, governor of Guangdong, said the province expects to advance its already very close economic relationship with Taiwan.

"We particularly hope to expand our cooperation with Taiwan in trade, investment, science and technology, culture, agriculture and tourism in the following years," Zhu said.

"Relevant government departments will do what they can to protect the legal rights of Taiwan investors in Guangdong, one of the mainland's economic powerhouses," Zhu said.

According to Zhu, Guangdong has attracted more than 27,000 Taiwan-invested projects, with investment totalling $62.8 billion.

Guangdong's trade with Taiwan surpassed $60 billion last year, representing one-third of the mainland's total. More than 200,000 Taiwan people are now living in Guangdong.

Zhu said he believed the forum will also be able to play an important role in promoting Chinese culture around the world and help to establish long-term cooperation between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

Jiao Lansheng, mayor of Zhongshan, said his government will use the forum as a platform to expand its economic ties with Taiwan and contribute to mutual development.

"Organizing the special forum is of great significance for Zhongshan, which is enjoying rapid economic growth," Jiao said.

"Zhongshan expects to provide a platform for scientific innovation, exchanges and cooperation between the youth across the Taiwan Straits," he said.

"The city government is sparing no effort to further its cooperation with the country's biggest island and achieve win-win deals in the following years," he added. Zhongshan, formerly known as Xiangshan, is the hometown of Sun Yat-sen, founder of Kuomintang and modern China. Sun was born in the city in 1866 and died of illness in Beijing in March 1925.

Sun devoted his life to the cause of reunification, which was also the aspiration of all Chinese people who fell victim to the endless clashes between warlords and the West-led invasion back then, Jiao said.

The forum is jointly sponsored by the Taiwan Work Office, the Guangdong provincial government and the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification, and has been undertaken by the Office of Taiwan Affairs of Guangdong province, the Zhongshan city government and Sun Yat-sen University.

Attendees of the forum's opening ceremony on Thursday included John Chiang, honorable vice-chairman of Kuomintang, Yok Mu-ming, Taiwan's New Party chairman, and other senior officials, as well as experts and scholars from across the Taiwan Straits.

In addition to the main forum, special sub-forums and related events, including the Huangpu (Whampoa) Military Academy sub-forum, have also been held in Zhongshan in the prestigious Sun Yat-sen University.

Participants of the military forum called on Huangpu alumni and their families to carry forward the spirit of Sun, the founder of the school, and jointly contribute to the peaceful development of cross-Straits ties and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.