China announced policies to improve cross-strait relations two days after a meeting between President Xi Jinping and Jeong Ri-won, chair of the Kuomintang, the main opposition in Taiwan. The move is seen as intended to pressure President Lai Ching-te by rolling out measures favorable to the pro China Kuomintang.

According to Xinhua on the 12th, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council announced ‘Ten policy measures to promote cross-strait exchanges and cooperation,’ including regular communication between the Communist Party and the Kuomintang, efforts to connect water, power, and gas between certain areas, and expanded cultural and tourism exchanges.

The measures include institutionalizing symbolic communication, such as establishing a regular communication mechanism centered on the Communist Party and the Kuomintang and creating a youth exchange platform. The two sides agreed to take the ‘92 Consensus’ (a 1992 understanding that recognizes ‘one China’ while allowing each side to use its own name) as a shared political foundation and to advance steps to expand exchanges on the premise of opposing ‘Taiwan independence’.

In addition, the All China Youth Federation and the Kuomintang Youth Affairs Development Committee will regularly hold exchange events and each year invite 20 youth organizations from Taiwan to expand exchanges with mainland China.

Plans to broaden exchanges across aviation, tourism, and the economy were also presented. China will work to normalize direct cross-strait passenger flights and support the resumption of routes linking Taiwan with Urumqi, Xian, Harbin, Kunming, Lanzhou, and other cities. It will also consider resuming individual travel to Taiwan for residents of Shanghai and Fujian Province.

The package also includes expanding Chinese imports of Taiwanese agricultural and fishery products, streamlining registration and distribution procedures for Taiwanese food companies, and supporting small and medium sized enterprises in entering the Chinese market. It will promote infrastructure cooperation such as linking electricity, water, gas, and bridges to Jinmen and Matsu, frontline islands of Taiwan adjacent to Fujian Province, and consider building port facilities to allow Taiwanese distant water fishing vessels to berth and unload their catches.

In culture, China will allow Taiwanese dramas, documentaries, and animation to be broadcast and carried on Chinese online platforms, and will promote greater participation by Taiwanese producers in making Chinese content.

The announcement is seen as highlighting internal divisions in Taiwan while seeking to pressure President Lai by rallying pro China forces. The interpretation is reinforced by the fact that it was issued on the last day of the visit to China by Chair Jeong Ri-won, while excluding the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

President Lai, who has sought to counter China and strengthen security cooperation with the United States, faces roadblocks to key bills such as a special defense budget of $40 billion under a Legislative Yuan configuration in which the opposition holds a majority. With a conciliatory offensive from Beijing added to this, his political burden appears likely to grow further.

The Taiwanese government holds that any political talks between the two sides must take place under official authorization. President Lai has said he is open to exchanges with China but cannot accept approaches that undermine democracy and the national interest.