In the spirit of the upcoming Spring Festival, the Chinese mainland's top Taiwan affairs official, Song Tao, extended warm festive greetings to representatives of the Taiwan business community. From Tuesday to Thursday, Song visited Taiwan enterprises and participated in cross-Straits exchange events in Shenzhen and Xiamen, engaging with nearly 400 Taiwan businesspeople and compatriots.
Song Tao, head of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, learned about the operations and development of Taiwan enterprises during his visits. He attentively listened to their opinions and suggestions, reaffirming the mainland's commitment to refining policies and mechanisms that promote economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Straits.
\"The shared values of peace, harmony, and the pursuit of a better life among people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits remain the foundation for the development of cross-Straits relations,\" Song emphasized. He expressed hope that Taiwan compatriots would uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, firmly oppose \\"Taiwan secession\\" and external interference, and work together to expand exchanges, promote peaceful development, and achieve integrated progress.
Taiwan business leaders expressed optimism following Song's visits. \"The warm atmosphere of the Spring Festival brings a sense of comfort. The mainland's support for Taiwan enterprises and compatriots has given those from Taiwan and Taiwan-funded businesses in Fujian greater confidence to continue their investments and support cross-Straits integrated development,\" said Wu Chia-ying, executive vice president of the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the mainland, who attended an exchange event in Xiamen on Thursday.
Fujian Province, designated as a demonstration zone for cross-Straits integrated development, witnessed 920,000 trips by Taiwan compatriots last year. Additionally, there were 8,986 voyages on direct routes between Fujian's coastal areas and Kinmen and Mazu, carrying 1.37 million passenger visits—a year-on-year increase of 71.2 percent and 78.8 percent, respectively, according to data from the Fujian Maritime Safety Administration.
\"In 2024, the mainland achieved its primary goals for economic and social development, shaping new advantages for cross-Straits economic cooperation and providing new opportunities for Taiwan compatriots and businesses to deepen their engagement on the mainland,\" Song noted.
According to the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs, last year saw the establishment of 7,941 new Taiwan-funded companies on the mainland, with cross-Straits trade volume reaching $292 billion—up 9.4 percent year-on-year.
Guangdong Province, home to Shenzhen, serves as a frontline region in China's reform and opening-up and is geographically close to Taiwan. It has become one of the primary destinations for Taiwan compatriots and businesses venturing into the mainland. \"Most of the Taiwan businesses in Guangdong were engaged in manufacturing in the past. But now they can leverage their advantages to make inroads into the service industry, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence here,\" said Jeff Chen, president of the Dongguan Taiwan Business Association.
Guangdong exemplifies the success of Taiwan businesses on the mainland. Since the launch of reform and opening-up in 1978, Guangdong has attracted nearly 35,000 Taiwan enterprises, involving more than $94 billion of investment.
One such success story is that of Hsu Fu-hsien, president of the Taiwan association in Shenzhen and manager of a manufacturing company, who has been settled in Shenzhen for 35 years. \"I benefited greatly from the reform and opening up in the 1990s. We are now keeping pace with the times by investing more in automation and innovation,\" he said.
Song Tao's visits and the positive responses from Taiwan business leaders highlight the ongoing efforts to strengthen cross-Straits relations and integrated development, bringing mutual benefits to people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.
Reference(s):
Mainland official visits Taiwan compatriots ahead of Spring Festival
cgtn.com
