The history of Zheng Chenggong, a national hero who expelled the Dutch colonists in 1662 and recovered Taiwan, shows that the island is a part of China and the reunification of the two sides is a general trend, representatives from both sides said.

They made the remarks at a cross-Strait youth book salon held in Beijing on Tuesday to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Zheng's birth. More than 70 representatives including Taiwan compatriots and Zheng's descendants from his ancestral home attended the event.

Jiang Liping, vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League, said that Taiwan has always been an integral part of China's territory, and the event could help everyone review history and promote peaceful and integrated development across the Strait.

Zheng Dongliang, president of the International Zheng Chenggong Cultural Exchange Association, said that Zheng Chenggong's deeds in recovering and developing Taiwan were a magnificent undertaking.

Zheng Chenggong vigorously promoted political, economic and cultural development during his stay in Taiwan, Zheng Dongliang said.

"These deeds fully confirm that Taiwan is the sacred territory of China," he said. "He is a great hero in realizing the reunification of the motherland and promoting the prosperity of Taiwan."

Hsueh Ying-tung, who is from Taiwan and runs a video production company in Wuhan, Hubei province, said Zheng Chenggong was "a great defender of national interests in our history".

"As a young person from Taiwan, I came to the mainland to start a business," he said.

"I greatly admire Zheng Chenggong's entrepreneurial spirit and his struggles at sea.

"We have created an animated Zheng Chenggong character and, in the future, we hope to turn it into an AI-animated product, allowing people to know this great hero who made contributions to the country 400 years ago."

Huang I-how, a young person from Taiwan who works on the Chinese mainland, said: "Zheng Chenggong refers to a pioneering spirit by expelling Dutch colonists and developing Taiwan. History also tells us that national reunification is a general trend."

Liu Shenshi contributed to this story.