SAN FRANCISCO (Xinhua) — Representatives from the Chinese Mainland, Taiwan, the United States and other parts of the world gathered here Saturday to discuss efforts to promote the peaceful reunification of China.

More than 300 participants, including government officials, scholars and members from pro-reunification groups in the United States, voiced their commitment to seek China’s peaceful reunification at the Cross-Strait Peaceful Reunification Summit Forum hosted by the Alliance for China’s Peaceful Reunification, USA in the Bay Area.

Zhou Ning, an official with the Taiwan Affairs Office of China’s State Council, urged overseas Chinese residing in the United States to spread the message of promoting China’s reunification to the American people because the Taiwan issue is an important and sensitive question that involves diplomatic relations between China and the United States.

Wu Youyi, president of Western America Chinese Peaceful Unification, a US-based grassroots organization that advocates China’s reunification, said the forum is of special significance as China celebrated the 40th anniversary of Message to Compatriots in Taiwan this year.

On New Year’s Day of 1979, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, issued the Message to Compatriots in Taiwan, stating major policies to realize peaceful reunification of the motherland.

Wu said the pro-reunification groups in the United States and other parts of the world can play an important role in advancing efforts to bolstering China’s reunification, as the majority of Chinese Americans firmly opposed Taiwan independence.