In a significant pre-Lunar New Year diplomatic gesture, China’s senior Taiwan affairs official Song Tao extended warm festive greetings to Taiwanese compatriots during cross-Strait celebration events held Wednesday in Fuzhou, Fujian province. The director of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council addressed more than 200 attendees, including prominent representatives from Taiwan’s business community.
Speaking at the ceremonial gathering, Song Tao articulated Beijing’s continued dedication to fostering economic collaboration and integrated development between mainland China and Taiwan throughout the forthcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030). He emphasized the mainland’s commitment to creating expansive opportunities for Taiwanese enterprises to establish and expand their operations within mainland markets.
The senior official articulated a clear expectation that Taiwanese compatriots would demonstrate firm opposition to separatist activities promoting ‘Taiwan independence’ while actively championing national reunification efforts. Song stressed the importance of maintaining proper direction in cross-Strait relations, highlighting the interconnected destiny shared across the Taiwan Strait.
In response, Taiwanese business representatives expressed appreciation for the mainland’s sustained support and concern, characterizing the Chinese mainland as the premier investment and entrepreneurship destination for Taiwanese nationals. Attendees voiced confidence in their developmental prospects within mainland markets and pledged to uphold peaceful stability across the Strait while contributing to the progressive integration of cross-Strait relations.