China announces partial resumption of ties with Taiwan

According to Ukrinform, the Associated Press reported this.

The Taiwan Work Office under China’s Communist Party issued a statement discussing the possibility of establishing a long-term communication mechanism between the Chinese Communist Party and Taiwan’s Kuomingtang Party, as well as facilitating the import of Taiwanese aquaculture products, which have been banned in recent years.

The statement notes that China plans to resume direct flights to Taiwan from mainland cities such as Xi’an and Ürümqi.

In 2019, China banned individual travel by Chinese citizens to Taiwan. Currently, under Taiwan’s regulations, Chinese visitors must hold a valid resident visa from another country, such as the United States or the European Union, to apply for a tourist visa.

China has also stated that it will work on building a bridge connecting Matsu and Jingmen, Taiwanese islands geographically closer to China. This project is a long-standing proposal that Beijing has previously announced.

As reported, in 2021, China banned imports of Taiwanese pineapples and subsequently expanded the ban to include a variety of products, such as grouper, squid, and tuna, as well as certain fruits.

Cheng Li-wun, chairman of the Kuomintang party, and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on Friday, April 10, during which both called for peace without providing specific details. Taiwan is a self-governing island, but China considers it part of its territory.

Relations between China and Taiwan have remained tense since 2016, when the Taiwanese public elected Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party as president. Since then, Beijing has suspended most official dialogue with the Taiwanese government and has begun sending military aircraft and ships to the island daily.

As reported by Ukrinform, the Chinese government believes that the Taiwanese administration will be unable to ensure the stability of supply chains for its enterprises without Chinese participation, and that such attempts by Taipei will only lead to a loss of control over the island’s industry and its surrender to third countries.

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