Beijing admits political ‘difficulties’ in bid to thaw ties with Taiwan

The government in Beijing has admitted the mainland is experiencing difficulties in trying to improve relations with its former adversary Taiwan because of political changes on the island.

The comments from officials in the government’s Taiwan Affairs Office come after the mainland-friendly Kuomintang political party in Taiwan suffered crushing defeats in local elections in November.

Taiwan and the mainland have been rivals for decades after Nationalist forces fled to the island in 1949 after losing the civil war to the communists, but relations have thawed since President Ma Ying-jeou took power in 2008 pledging to improve ties.

Pundits and news media suggested the reasons for his party’s rout in the local elections included the island's lacklustre economy and the increasing gap between the rich and poor.

Fan Liqing, a spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a press conference on Wednesday: “Everybody sees the difficulties are mainly in the changes in the island’s politics.

“In the New Year, we will stick to the direction of our Taiwan policies, expanding exchanges and co-operation, forging mutual understanding and trust and will continue to promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations,” she said.