China announces new Taiwan incentives after Kuomintang leader’s visit

BEIJING: China on Sunday announced 10 new measures aimed at Taiwan, including steps to relax tourism restrictions, permit selected Taiwanese television content and make it easier to sell food products, after a visit to the mainland by the island’s main opposition leader.

The announcement came at the conclusion of a trip by Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan’s Kuomintang (KMT), the island’s largest opposition party. During the visit, she met Chinese President Xi Jinping and discussed what was described as the need for peace and reconciliation.

According to the measures released by the official Xinhua news agency, the package includes plans to “explore” setting up a regular communication mechanism between the KMT and the Communist Party of China. The measures also cover the full restoration of flights across the Taiwan Strait and allowing residents from Shanghai and Fujian province to travel to Taiwan.

Xinhua said a mechanism would also be introduced to simplify inspection standards for food and fishery products. It added, however, that this would be based on the political foundation of “opposing Taiwan independence.”

The new measures further state that Taiwanese television dramas, documentaries and animation productions will be allowed to air if they have “correct orientation, healthy content, and high production quality.”

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, which oversees the island’s China policy, criticised the move in a statement. It said Beijing’s so-called “unilateral concessions” were poisoned pills presented as “generous gift packages.” The council said Taiwan supports healthy and orderly exchanges across the strait, but such interactions should not be tied to political conditions or objectives.

In its own statement, the KMT welcomed the announcement from China and described it as a “gift” for the people of Taiwan.

Beijing does not engage with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te and has labelled him a “separatist.” Lai has rejected China’s claims of sovereignty over the self-governed island.

China and Taiwan have continued to accuse each other over the failure to resume large-scale Chinese tourism to Taiwan since the Covid-19 pandemic ended. Taiwan has also previously objected to Chinese curbs on imports of some agricultural and aquatic goods, saying Beijing has at times used unjustified reasons related to pest and disease prevention to halt shipments.

Cross-strait exchanges remain contested

The latest package highlights the continuing political divide over cross-strait engagement. While Beijing presented the measures as incentives, Taiwan’s government rejected any arrangement linked to political demands. The opposition KMT, however, publicly endorsed the package following Cheng’s visit and meetings in China.

The differing responses underscored the broader disagreement within Taiwan over how to manage relations with Beijing, particularly on tourism, trade and people-to-people exchanges.