China has announced its intention to partially resume certain contacts with Taiwan following a visit to Beijing by the head of Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang party, Chen Li-wen. This is reported by UNN with reference to AP.
Details
According to media reports, this refers to a package of 10 measures concerning air travel, tourism, imports of certain goods, and inter-party communication.
In particular, Beijing announced its intention to promote the full resumption of direct passenger flights across the Taiwan Strait, as well as to ease restrictions on the import of some Taiwanese products, including aquaculture and food items.
In addition, China expressed its readiness to resume individual trips to Taiwan for residents of Shanghai and Fujian Province.
Among other initiatives are the intention to establish a long-term communication mechanism between the Communist Party of China and the Kuomintang, expand youth exchanges, and promote infrastructure integration between the Chinese coast and the Taiwanese islands of Kinmen and Matsu.
Context
The announcement came after Chen Li-wen's six-day visit to China, during which she met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. At this meeting, Xi stated that Beijing would not tolerate Taiwan's independence and called for the promotion of "reunification."
The Taiwanese government reacted critically to China's new steps. Taipei stated that Beijing is trying to bypass the island's democratically elected government and use economic and social contacts as a tool of political pressure.
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council emphasized that official issues should only be resolved through formal intergovernmental mechanisms.
At the same time, the Kuomintang welcomed the new measures, stating that they could be beneficial for Taiwanese society.
However, warnings were also heard in Taiwan that similar steps by Beijing had previously been accompanied by political conditions and did not provide stable guarantees for businesses, farmers, and fishermen.
Against this background, US representative in Taiwan Raymond Greene called on China to stop threats and military pressure on the island, and to engage in dialogue not only with the opposition but also with Taiwan's democratically elected government.