In late January 2026, two Taiwanese students, Mei (21) and Lian (22), returned to Taipei after a ten-day trip to mainland China, organized by an association promoting cross-strait youth exchange. Departing from Harbin and stopping in Shanghai, they expressed a generally positive impression, noting China's modernity, exemplified by robot services in hotels. The trips are significantly subsidized, with participants only covering round-trip airfare and a nominal registration fee of approximately 100 euros, while all internal travel, accommodation, meals, and tours are covered. This initiative aims to foster closer ties between young Taiwanese and mainland Chinese, despite the sensitive political context surrounding cross-strait relations.