China Announces Resumption of Select Ties with Taiwan Following Opposition Leader's Visit

China has announced plans to resume certain ties with Taiwan, including reinstating direct flights to mainland cities such as Xi'an and Urumqi, and lifting bans on some Taiwanese aquaculture imports. This development follows a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Cheng Li-wun, leader of Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party, in Beijing.

The Taiwan Work Office under China's Communist Party stated it would explore establishing a longstanding communication mechanism between the Communist Party and the KMT. Additionally, China expressed intentions to work toward constructing a bridge connecting the mainland to Taiwan's outlying islands, Matsu and Kinmen.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council criticized these measures, describing them as "political transactions" between the two parties that circumvent Taiwan's government. The Council emphasized that all cross-strait affairs involving public power must be negotiated by both governments on an equal and dignified basis to ensure the nation's interests and the well-being of its people.

Relations between China and Taiwan have been strained since the 2016 election of pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen from the Democratic Progressive Party. Beijing subsequently cut off most official dialogue with Taiwan's government and increased military activities near the island.

The recent meeting between Xi and Cheng marks the first such encounter in over a decade, with both leaders calling for peace without offering specific strategies.