China says it will resume direct flights and aquaculture imports with Taiwan

China said on Sunday it would resume some ties with Taiwan, such as direct flights and imports of seafood products from Taiwan, that it had suspended following the visit of the autonomous island’s Beijing-friendly opposition leader.

The Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China issued a statement saying it would explore establishing a long-standing communication mechanism between the Communist Party and Taiwan’s Kuomingtang Party. He said Taiwan would facilitate the import of aquaculture products that it had previously banned.

Kuomingtang chief Cheng Li-wun and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a high-profile meeting on Friday in which they called for peace, without providing any details. China claims the island is part of its territory and does not rule out using force to annex the island.

The Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council, which oversees relations with China, said the measures announced, such as promoting a communications mechanism, were “political transactions” between the two sides that bypassed the Taiwanese government.

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In response to China’s announcement, the Mainland Affairs Council said, “The government’s position is clear: to secure the interests of the nation and its people, all cross-Strait matters involving public power should be negotiated by both governments on an equal and honorable basis to be effective and truly protect the rights and welfare of the people.” he said.

Relations between China and Taiwan, divided since 1949, have been tense since pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen was elected from the Democratic Progressive Party in 2016. Beijing has cut off most of its official dialogue with Taiwan’s government and began sending warships and warplanes to the island on a daily basis.

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XI Jinping met with a delegation from the Kuomintang in Beijing, China, on April 10, 2026. Taiwan backtracked after China announced new cross-strait measures following Xi Jinping’s meeting with the Beijing-friendly opposition leader. (Li Xiang/Xinhua via Getty Images)

In the statement, China said it plans to continue direct flights between Taiwan and mainland cities such as Xi’an or Urumqi, but it remains unclear how the measures will be implemented without the approval of the Taiwanese government.

China banned individual travel of its citizens to Taiwan in 2019. Taiwan’s rules now require Chinese visitors to have a valid residence visa from another country, such as the United States or the European Union, to apply for a visitor visa.

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Xi Jinping speaks with Taiwan’s opposition leader Cheng Li-wun during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Friday, April 10, 2026. China continues to maintain its territorial claims on the self-governing island while offering limited trade and travel openings to Taiwan. (Xie Huanchi/Xinhua via AP)

China has also said it will work to build a bridge that will connect the mainland to the Taiwanese islands of Matsu and Kinmen, which are geographically closer to China. The project is a long-standing proposal that Beijing has previously announced.

China banned the import of Taiwanese pineapples in 2021 and has since expanded the ban to other fruits and products, including grouper, squid and tuna.

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Following the initial ban on grouper, Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture said it approached China about making adjustments to ensure it met import requirements. China responded with a limited list of individual companies allowed to sell to China, but no explanation.