Economic integration across the Taiwan Strait accelerated in 2025, with official data showing Taiwan-funded enterprises expanding operations on the Chinese mainland and bilateral trade maintaining steady growth. Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, revealed this week that cross-strait trade reached $285.39 billion in the first eleven months of 2025 – a 7.3% year-on-year increase.
Speaking at Wednesday's press conference, Chen highlighted the establishment of 6,423 new Taiwan-funded enterprises on the mainland through October 2025, with actual utilized capital from Taiwan surging 53% to $1.75 billion. Fujian Province, positioned directly opposite Taiwan, emerged as a key hub with 2,043 new ventures attracting $670 million in investment.
The figures underscore deepening commercial ties despite political complexities. Transportation links have kept pace, with cross-strait airlines operating over 610 weekly passenger flights in 2025. The Xiamen-Kinmen ferry service recorded 1.75 million passenger trips through November – a 45.77% annual increase that highlights growing people-to-people exchanges.
Analysts suggest the economic momentum reflects mainland policy initiatives to facilitate business operations for Taiwan enterprises while maintaining stable supply chain cooperation. With Taiwan remaining the mainland's seventh-largest trading partner, these developments carry significant implications for regional economic stability and investor confidence in East Asian markets.
