China on Sunday announced plans to resume partially suspended relations with Taiwan, including direct flights to more mainland cities and the resumption of imports of Taiwanese aquaculture products.The announcement came amid talks between senior leaders of China’s ruling Communist Party and Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang, signaling a possible thaw in limited areas of contact.According to the Associated Press, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said it would explore establishing a “long-term communication mechanism” with the Kuomintang and facilitate the import of Taiwanese aquaculture products that have been restricted in recent years.The move follows high-level meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kuomintang leader Cheng Li-wen, with both sides calling for peace but without outlining specific steps.As part of these measures, Beijing has said it plans to resume direct flights between Taiwan and other mainland cities such as Xi’an and Urumqi, but implementation details remain unclear. China has earlier restricted travel, including banning individual tourists from traveling to Taiwan in 2019.Trade restrictions will also be relaxed. Since 2021, China has imposed bans on a range of Taiwanese agricultural and seafood products, including pineapples, grouper, squid and tuna. The latest announcements indicate that these restrictions will be partially lifted.Beijing also reiterated plans to advance infrastructure such as a bridge linking mainland China with the Taiwan-controlled islands of Matsu and Kinmen, a project previously proposed by Chinese authorities.Cross-strait relations have been tense since Taiwan elected Tsai Ing-wen to join the party in 2016, after which Beijing suspended most official dialogue and increased military activity around Taiwan.In response to the development, Taiwan said it would continue its efforts to help farmers and companies diversify their export markets to reduce dependence on China.
