TAIPEI - More than 12 million Chinese mainland and Taiwan netizens have picked the Chinese character "kun", meaning trapped, as the word of the year for 2019, expecting cross-Straits relations to break free from the Taiwan question trap next year.

The character won more than 1 million votes out of about 12 million in an online poll from Nov 29 to Dec 12, Taiwan-based Want Daily announced in Taipei last week. The poll was jointly hosted by organizations including Want Daily, Fujian-based Sun News and online news website Sina.

"Kun" beat 35 other characters recommended by participants across the Taiwan Straits. The choice showed that people on both sides have a clear understanding of the difficulties currently facing cross-Straits relations, said Wang Cho-chung, president of China Times and Want Daily, at the announcing ceremony on Friday.

"Let us hope that next year, we will be able to bring cross-Straits relations out of the trap and into a new beginning," he said.

"The more difficult the current situation becomes, the more necessary it is for us to stay on the right track," said Huang Yubin, president and editor-in-chief of Sun News, addressing the ceremony via video message. "I believe people chose the word 'trapped' not only to express their feelings about 2019 but also to express an aspiration to break out of the current situation."

The event has been held annually since 2008. Last year's choice was the character "wang", or expectation.

The event reminded people across the Straits of the cultural roots they share, said Lin Gu-fang, chief of Taipei Lecture Hall, an institute promoting traditional Chinese culture, including calligraphy.

"As long as we all use Chinese characters, the essential bond across the Straits remains, and the proof that we have the same origin is there," Lin said.

Xinhua