China Moves to Restore Select Cross-Strait Links as Opposition Leader Visits Beijing

China announced on Sunday that it will resume several suspended exchanges with Taiwan, including direct flights to multiple mainland cities and limited imports of Taiwanese aquaculture products, as a visiting opposition party leader wrapped up high-level talks in Beijing.

The Taiwan Work Office under the Chinese Communist Party said in a statement that it would explore establishing a long-term communication mechanism with Taiwan’s Kuomintang (KMT) party and gradually reopen trade channels that had been restricted in recent years. The office also signaled plans to allow the import of selected Taiwanese seafood products, which had previously been banned amid rising political tensions.

The announcement came after Cheng Li-wun, head of Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang party, met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday. Both sides called for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, though no detailed agreements were made public.

Taiwan, which operates a self-governed administration, has been claimed by Beijing as part of its territory. Relations have remained strained since 2016, when Taiwan elected Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party. Since then, Beijing has largely suspended official communication with Taipei and increased military activity around the island, including near-daily air and naval operations.

Sunday’s statement outlined a series of measures that appear to reverse some of the restrictions introduced over the past several years. China said it plans to restore direct air routes connecting additional mainland cities such as Xi’an and Urumqi with Taiwan, though it did not specify when these flights might resume or how they would be structured.

Beijing also said it would consider reviving tourism exchanges that were halted in 2019, when individual travel permits for Chinese citizens visiting Taiwan were suspended. At present, Taiwan requires Chinese nationals to meet stricter visa conditions, including holding residency permits from third countries such as the United States or European Union states in order to apply for entry.

Another proposal highlighted in the statement involves long-discussed infrastructure links, including a potential bridge connecting China to the Taiwanese-controlled outlying islands of Matsu and Kinmen, which sit close to the mainland coast.

Trade restrictions have also been a major point of contention. China banned imports of Taiwanese pineapples in 2021 and later expanded restrictions to include products such as grouper fish, squid, tuna, and other agricultural goods. While some limited exemptions were later granted to specific exporters, Taipei has said the measures lacked transparency and consistency.

In response to ongoing restrictions, Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture said it would continue helping local farmers and businesses expand into international markets to reduce reliance on China.

The latest announcements signal a cautious easing of cross-strait economic and transport restrictions, even as political tensions between Beijing and Taipei remain unresolved.