China to restart direct flights and trade links with Taiwan, says report

China on Sunday announced it would resume some suspended ties with Taiwan, including direct flights to several mainland cities and imports of Taiwanese aquaculture products, as the island’s opposition party leader concluded her visit.

The Taiwan Work Office under China’s Communist Party said it would explore establishing a long-term communication mechanism between the Communist Party and Taiwan’s Kuomintang (KMT) party.

It also said it would facilitate the import of Taiwanese aquaculture goods, which had been banned in recent years.

KMT leader Cheng Li-wun and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a high-profile meeting on Friday, where both sides called for peace, though no specific details were provided. Taiwan is self-ruled, but China considers it part of its territory.

Relations between Beijing and Taipei have remained strained since 2016, when Taiwan elected Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party as president.

Since then, China has largely suspended official dialogue with Taiwan’s government and has regularly deployed military aircraft and naval vessels near the island.

The statement outlined a series of measures affecting ties that China had gradually restricted amid rising tensions.

Beijing said it plans to resume direct flights from mainland cities such as Xi’an and Urumqi to Taiwan, although details of implementation remain unclear.