BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping has announced plans to resume certain ties with Taiwan, including direct flights and aquaculture imports, following a meeting between Beijing and Taiwan’s Kuomingtang opposition leader. The move follows a high-profile meeting on Friday between Kuomingtang head Cheng Li-wun and Xi Jinping, where both leaders called for peace, according to reports from the Associated Press.
China's Taiwan Work Office under the Communist Party stated it would explore a long-standing communication mechanism between the Communist Party and Taiwan’s Kuomingtang Party. The agency also confirmed it will facilitate the import of Taiwanese aquaculture products that Beijing had previously banned.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council criticized the announcement, describing the measures as "political transactions" between the two parties that bypass the official Taiwanese government. The Council stated that all Cross-Strait affairs involving public power must be negotiated by both governments on an equal and dignified basis to protect the rights of the people.
China's proposed resumption of direct flights includes mainland cities such as Xi’an and Urumqi, though the implementation remains unclear without approval from the Taiwanese government. Beijing also reiterated its longstanding proposal to construct a bridge connecting the mainland to the Taiwanese islands of Matsu and Kinmen.
Strategic shifts in Beijing
While addressing cross-strait relations, Xi Jinping also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing on Wednesday to strengthen ties with Moscow. According to China’s Xinhua news agency, Xi urged Russia and China to "firmly defend their legitimate interests and safeguard the unity of Global South countries."
Xi described the stability of China-Russia relations as particularly "precious" during a period of international chaos, as reported by the Associated Press. This meeting occurred as the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran has begun to strain global energy supplies, with 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas exports previously transiting the waterway.
Lavrov told a press conference that Moscow could "compensate" for China’s energy shortages caused by the maritime blockade. The blockade follows the US and Israel's launch of a war on February 28, which has seen US forces blockade all Iranian ports to force a ceasefire, according to reports from Al Jazeera.
Xi Jinping’s diplomatic schedule in Beijing also included meetings with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Vietnamese leader To Lam. During talks with Sanchez, Xi warned that the world faces a "contest between justice and force."
