Beijing outlines ‘interconnected living’ plan for Taiwan and Fujian
- Coastal mainland province to become a model zone for closer development with the island to promote ‘peaceful reunification’
- Travel, education, trade and investment will be smoothed to make Fujian the gateway to the mainland for Taiwanese residents and companies
In a 21-article document, policymakers released detailed measures to turn the southeastern mainland province into a demonstration area for integrated development across the Taiwan Strait.
The move is intended to “deepen cross-strait integrated development in all fields and promote the process of peaceful reunification”, according to the plan, jointly issued on Tuesday by the Communist Party’s Central Committee and the State Council, China’s cabinet.
The authorities will make the coastal province the first-choice gateway to the mainland for Taiwanese residents and companies, further smoothing mutual people-to-people exchanges, trade and investment, the plan says.
The intention is to create interconnected living circles between the mainland port city of Xiamen and the Taiwan-controlled island of Quemoy – also called Kinmen – which is less than 5km (3 miles) away, as well as between Fujian province’s capital Fuzhou and Matsu, which are separated by about 20km.
Fujian, on the west coast of the strait, is geographically and culturally the closest part of the mainland to Taiwan, which Beijing has vowed to bring under its control, by force if necessary.