Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, departed from Taiwan on Wednesday morning to embark on his third visit to the Chinese mainland in the past two years, with the aim of promoting cross-Strait exchanges amid tense relations.

Ma is leading a group of Taiwan youth to the northeastern Heilongjiang province to participate in an ice-themed event. They will also travel to Sichuan province in the southwest to experience traditional Chinese culture before returning to Taiwan next Thursday.

This visit marks Ma's second trip to the mainland this year and his third in less than two years, underscoring his continuous efforts to foster cross-Strait engagement.

The trip follows a recent nine-day tour of Taiwan by 40 mainland students and teachers who were invited by the Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation.

"At present, such exchanges of youth between the two sides are particularly crucial, especially given the ongoing global conflicts and the comparatively tense cross-Strait relations compared to when I was in office," Ma said at the airport in Taiwan.

The foundation is doing its utmost to promote youth exchanges between the two sides, constructing bridges of peace across the political divide, and conveying the heartfelt desire for communication among people on both sides, he said.

"This is what I can do to the best of my ability for the people of Taiwan and for cross-Strait peace," he said. "The more exchanges there are between the youth on both sides, the deeper the understanding, and the fewer conflicts there will be in the future."