The Chinese mainland on Sunday announced a package of 10 policy measures aimed at enhancing exchanges and cooperation with Taiwan, covering areas including political dialogue, infrastructure, trade, travel and cultural engagement, according to Chinese official media.
The measures were unveiled by the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee following a high-level meeting earlier this week between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun. The interaction marked the first top-level engagement between the two parties in a decade.
Cheng led a KMT delegation on a six-day visit to mainland cities including Nanjing, Shanghai and Beijing, which concluded on Sunday.
At the core of the newly announced initiatives is a proposal to establish a regular communication mechanism between the CPC and the KMT, based on adherence to the “1992 Consensus” and opposition to “Taiwan independence,” according to an official statement.
Chinese authorities said the measures are aimed at promoting peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and strengthening people-to-people ties, particularly among youth. Under the plan, mainland institutions will invite 20 youth groups from Taiwan annually to participate in exchange programmes.
On infrastructure, Beijing said it would support Fujian Province in sharing water, electricity and gas supplies with Taiwan’s offshore islands of Kinmen and Matsu, and explore the construction of sea-crossing bridges, subject to feasibility.
In the transport sector, the mainland plans to resume regular direct passenger flights across the Strait, including routes linking major cities such as Urumqi, Xi’an, Harbin, Kunming and Lanzhou. Kinmen may also be allowed to use a new airport under construction in Xiamen, expected to be operational by the end of 2026.
Trade-related measures include facilitating the entry of Taiwan’s agricultural and fishery products into mainland markets, provided they meet quarantine standards, and enabling participation in mainland trade fairs to expand sales channels. Support is also envisaged for Taiwan’s small and medium-sized enterprises to grow business operations on the mainland.
The mainland will also explore building infrastructure to support Taiwan’s distant-water fishing vessels and simplify registration procedures for Taiwan-based food manufacturers seeking market access.
To strengthen cultural ties, authorities said qualified television programmes, documentaries and animations from Taiwan would be allowed to air on the mainland, while Taiwan residents could participate in the mainland’s expanding micro-drama industry.
Additionally, Beijing indicated plans to resume individual travel by residents of Shanghai and Fujian to Taiwan, a scheme that was suspended in 2019.