CHINA has announced 10 new policy measures aimed at encouraging closer engagement with Taiwan, including easing travel restrictions, expanding cultural exchanges and facilitating agricultural and seafood imports, shortly after a high-profile visit by the island’s opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party leader.
The measures were unveiled by the official Xinhua News Agency following a visit by Cheng Li-wun, during which she met Chinese President Xi Jinping and discussed the importance of peace and reconciliation across the Taiwan Strait.
According to the announcement, Beijing is exploring the establishment of a regular communication mechanism between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party, alongside the possible full resumption of cross-strait flights.
The proposals also include allowing residents from Shanghai and Fujian province to travel to Taiwan and introducing measures to streamline inspections for food and fishery products.
However, Xinhua stated that such arrangements would be implemented on the political basis of “opposing Taiwan independence.”
China also said it would permit the broadcast of Taiwanese television dramas, documentaries and animation, provided they meet criteria including “correct orientation, healthy content, and high production quality.”
The announcement comes amid continued political tension between Beijing and Taipei, with China refusing to engage with Taiwan’s current administration led by President Lai Ching-te, whom it accuses of being a “separatist.”
Taiwan’s government had not issued an immediate response to the latest Chinese announcement at the time of reporting.
Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan, a democratically governed island, while Taipei maintains that it is a self-ruled territory. The two sides have also traded accusations over stalled efforts to resume large-scale Chinese tourism to Taiwan following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Taipei has in the past accused Beijing of restricting imports of Taiwanese agricultural and fishery products, arguing that such measures are often justified on regulatory grounds related to pests and disease control, but are in practice politically motivated.
The latest measures are being viewed as part of Beijing’s broader effort to increase cross-strait engagement through economic and cultural channels while maintaining its political stance on Taiwan’s status. - April 12, 2026
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