China announced on Sunday, April 12, 2026, that it would resume some cross-strait exchanges with Taiwan, including direct flights to several mainland cities and imports of certain Taiwanese fishery products. The announcement followed a visit to China by Taiwan's main opposition party leader, Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang (KMT).
The measures were outlined by Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office. He stated that direct passenger flights would resume to cities including Tianjin, Ningbo, and Qingdao, and that imports of certain aquaculture products from Taiwan, such as grouper fish, would be permitted again. These exchanges had been suspended by Beijing in recent years.
Chen framed the resumption as a gesture to "benefit compatriots on both sides of the strait." The move is seen as an effort to engage with Taiwanese groups and individuals seen as friendly to Beijing, while maintaining pressure on the island's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which Beijing views as separatist.
The Taiwanese government has not issued an immediate official response to the specific announcements. Cross-strait relations remain tense, with Beijing claiming sovereignty over Taiwan, which has its own democratically elected government.
