Efforts made to bring two sides of one family back together

Some 75 years ago, driven by a profound yearning for his motherland, Yang Yizhou's father made a resolute decision to leave Taiwan for the mainland, a choice that left a lasting impact on his family and inspired Yang to dedicate himself to promoting cross-Strait reunification from a young age.

As vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots, Yang possesses a deep understanding of the pain caused by the division between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. This empathy has enabled him to become a compassionate listener to the voices of Taiwan compatriots and a bridge between them.

Born in Taipei in 1928, Yang's father enrolled in a university in Macao in 1949. During his first year at university in 1950, he joined a youth reading group in Macao, where he learned about the endeavors of the Communist Party of China. That same year, he courageously abandoned his studies and, alongside another Taiwan classmate, journeyed to the mainland to participate in socialist construction.