Global Pulse

标签： Asia

亚洲

  • Runners measure Xiong’an’s rapid growth at 2026 marathon

    Runners measure Xiong’an’s rapid growth at 2026 marathon

    On a sunny Sunday morning in April 2026, the starting gun for the 2026 Xiong’an Marathon fired precisely at 7:30 a.m., launching the event from the steps of the Xiong’an Urban Computing Center — one of the most iconic modern landmarks of this young urban development zone in northern China’s Hebei Province.

    More than 12,000 long-distance running enthusiasts from every corner of the country converged on Xiong’an, a national-level new area established by Chinese authorities in 2017, for a rare opportunity to experience the region’s staggering nine years of progress with their own steps. Unlike traditional marathon courses that wind through long-established cityscapes, this route was intentionally designed to connect Xiong’an’s most defining development milestones, linking the cutting-edge Urban Computing Center, the ecologically restored Baiyangdian wetland zone, and the newly completed headquarters of central state-owned enterprises relocated from the national capital Beijing.

    Along every stretch of the course, runners were greeted by tangible evidence of Xiong’an’s evolution: fully functional residential amenities that now serve a growing permanent population, state-of-the-art technology hubs driving the area’s innovation-focused economy, and expansive green spaces that underscore the new area’s commitment to sustainable, low-carbon urban development. For many returning participants, the contrasts between visits were striking. A male runner from Hebei’s provincial capital Shijiazhuang, who first ran the Xiong’an Marathon in 2023, shared that the changes he observed over just three years left him stunned. “This year, I’m literally using my feet to measure how much Xiong’an has transformed in that short time,” he said, noting that entirely new landmarks and infrastructure that did not exist three years ago now line the route.

    Beyond the competitive running itself, organizers upgraded the race’s beloved community-focused “Xiong’an Stars” initiative for the 2026 event. Originally launched with a small team of 30 young cheerleaders, the program was expanded this year to 100 children who share the same age as Xiong’an New Area itself. These young supporters lined the course to cheer on exhausted runners, and later took up the honored role of placing finisher medals around the necks of athletes who crossed the finish line, adding a heartfelt, intergenerational touch to the event.

    To further enrich the participant and spectator experience, organizers worked with nearly 50 local businesses to set up public booths along the course perimeter, offering regional specialty foods, traditional and modern cultural products, and interactive activities that brought extra energy to the race day. Local residents turned out in droves, lining the sidewalks outside the course barriers to cheer on every runner, creating a warm, lively atmosphere that surprised many first-time visitors to the new area.

    From the sweeping transformation of once undeveloped land into a modern, sustainable smart city to the childlike enthusiasm of the young volunteers and the warm welcome from local residents, the 2026 Xiong’an Marathon did more than host a competitive race: it offered a living snapshot of Xiong’an’s vibrant, dynamic growth, and highlighted the new area’s ongoing journey toward its ambitious vision for a brighter, more innovative urban future.

  • Tucker Carlson slams UK’s Palestine Action ban, calls Keir Starmer ‘enslaved’

    Tucker Carlson slams UK’s Palestine Action ban, calls Keir Starmer ‘enslaved’

    In a tense Sunday morning BBC interview that has sparked widespread debate, prominent former Fox News host Tucker Carlson launched a scathing rebuke of the British government’s decision to ban pro-Palestinian direct action group Palestine Action, pushing back against host Victoria Derbyshire’s challenges to his claims.

    When Derbyshire asked Carlson – a longstanding vocal critic of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran – whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer had made the correct call on the ban, Carlson offered a blunt, controversial response: “I don’t think Keir Starmer makes any calls about anything. Keir Starmer’s not in control of Britain. No, Keir Starmer is every bit as enslaved as Donald Trump is.”

    Carlson went on to argue that current British law effectively criminalizes open criticism of the Israeli government, claiming: “It is a crime for which you can be arrested in Britain right now, criticising Israel. If you say you’re for Palestine Action, you can be arrested. A lot of people have been arrested. So in other words, it is not legal in Britain to criticise another country.”

    Derbyshire immediately pushed back, refuting the claim as untrue. When Carlson pressed that hundreds of people had indeed been arrested for critical speech about Israel, Derbyshire clarified that arrests stemmed from Palestine Action’s proscribed status, not criticism itself. Undeterred, Carlson fired back: “Why is it banned? It’s banned because the Israeli government wanted it banned.”

    The context of the ban dates back to last July, when Starmer’s incoming Labour government officially proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist-linked organization. Under the order, membership in the group or public expression of support for it carries a maximum criminal penalty of 14 years in prison. While the UK High Court ruled the ban unlawful in February, the government secured permission to appeal the ruling, with the appeal hearing scheduled for April 28 and 29.

    In the weeks since the ban first took effect, more than 1,600 people have been arrested for holding public signs reading “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action,” according to on-the-ground reports. The movement against the ban reached a peak Saturday, when mass demonstrations converged on central London’s Trafalgar Square, where at least 523 people were arrested in a single day in coordinated civil disobedience. Protesters set up camping chairs on the steps of the square, all displaying identical hand-painted signs declaring their support for the banned group. Middle East Eye, which first reported on the demonstration, documented that many of the arrested protesters were elderly and disabled – including frail grey-haired attendees and participants using crutches, who were physically dragged away by police officers. Some demonstrators dressed as early 20th century British Suffragettes to draw a parallel between their fight for political voice and the historic suffrage movement.

    During the interview, Carlson softened his tone to note that despite frequent criticism of British policy, he retains affection for the country, where he has family ties. He went on to argue that British citizens have been unfairly compromised by U.S. foreign policy influence: “I don’t think that Britons understand just how badly they’ve been shafted by the United States. And I am ashamed of that and I hope that we do everything we can to rectify it. I hope that our next president strikes a far more conciliatory and cooperative tone and tries to help Britain, because it has a lot of problems that will be very obvious by the next time there’s a presidential election in my country.”

    The controversy over the Palestine Action ban also intersects with broader Middle East military tensions. When the U.S.-led campaign against Iran began, Starmer initially hesitated to grant the U.S. access to British military bases for strike operations. Ultimately, however, the UK relented: the bases have been used for strikes on Iranian missile sites, and for the past nearly three weeks, they have supported U.S. operations aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping chokepoint.

  • Former deputy director of Xizang people’s congress under investigation

    Former deputy director of Xizang people’s congress under investigation

    China’s top anti-corruption watchdog announced on Sunday that Ding Yexian, a 65-year-old former deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Xizang Autonomous Region People’s Congress, is facing investigation over suspected severe violations of discipline and national law. Currently, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission are conducting a combined disciplinary review and official investigation into Ding’s conduct, according to the official announcement.

    Public career records show that Ding built his decades-long professional career entirely in Xizang, starting his first work assignment in the region back in 1978. Over his years in public service, he held a series of senior leadership positions: he served as vice chairman of the Xizang Autonomous Regional Government from September 2010 to June 2013, after which he was promoted to the post of executive vice chairman of the region. In January 2021, Ding took up his final public position as deputy director of the Xizang Autonomous Region People’s Congress Standing Committee, the region’s top legislative body.

    This investigation is part of China’s sustained national campaign to root out corruption across all levels of public office, holding current and former senior officials accountable for any violations of disciplinary and legal regulations.

  • Intl forum discusses role of peony flowers in cultural exchange and mutual understanding

    Intl forum discusses role of peony flowers in cultural exchange and mutual understanding

    In the heart of China’s famed “Peony Capital” of Heze, Shandong province, global stakeholders from academia, government, and cultural institutions gathered on Saturday for the 2026 Heze Peony International Communication Forum, a landmark event designed to frame the iconic peony flower as a powerful cross-cultural bridge fostering global mutual understanding. Bringing together officials, scholars and industry specialists from nations including Russia and Italy, the forum builds on centuries of peony cultivation heritage in Heze to open new avenues for people-to-people connection across borders.

    This gathering marks a core component of the 2026 World Peony Conference, a 30-day global event that launched the previous day under the unifying theme “Blooming Across the World, Cultivating Shared Beauty”. The conference and accompanying forum shine a global spotlight on Heze’s unparalleled legacy as one of the world’s preeminent centers of peony cultivation: the region boasts more than 1,500 years of continuous peony growing history, with 1,308 officially registered varieties spanning nine distinct color groups and 10 unique flower forms. Beyond its cultural significance, Heze’s peony industry has grown into a major economic driver, with the total output value spanning from primary cultivation to high-value processed peony goods surpassing 13 billion yuan in 2025.

    The forum opened with a symbolic act of cross-cultural friendship, as Tatiana Bakurova, principal of Oryol State First High School in Russia, presented an original oil painting of peonies titled *Flower of Friendship* — a work created collectively by her school’s teachers and students. In return, the Publicity Department of Heze gifted the Russian delegation a traditional handcrafted peony paper-cut artwork, a tangible example of China’s intangible cultural heritage tied to the iconic bloom. This gift exchange set the collaborative tone for the day’s discussions.

    In his opening address, Zhang Lun, secretary of the Heze Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, emphasized the universal appeal of floral aesthetics. “Flowers are an aesthetic language that transcends national borders,” Zhang noted. He called for coordinated collective action to advance two complementary goals: expanding global access to Heze’s peony varieties and cultural products, while welcoming international floral expertise and cultural exchange to Heze. This dual approach, Zhang argued, would inject fresh momentum into global efforts to build a harmonious shared global community rooted in mutual respect and understanding.

  • No deal after US, Iran end marathon talks

    No deal after US, Iran end marathon talks

    After 21 hours of intensive, overnight diplomatic negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, the highest-level direct talks between the United States and Iran in more than a decade have concluded without a breakthrough, leaving a fragile two-week ceasefire in their six-week conflict on the brink of collapse. The war, which has already claimed thousands of lives, has roiled global energy markets and sent international oil prices soaring, casting deep uncertainty over regional stability.

    Hosted by Pakistani mediators, the April 12 talks marked the most senior official engagement between Washington and Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, raising cautious hopes across the international community for de-escalation. The conflict erupted in late February after the U.S. and its closest Middle East ally Israel launched pre-emptive military strikes against Iran during an ongoing round of nuclear negotiations that included former U.S. president Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and then-senior advisor Jared Kushner. Iran responded with widespread retaliatory action, dragging the entire Middle East into open conflict.

    Disagreements over core sticking points derailed any path to a final agreement, according to officials and media reports from both sides. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency blamed what it described as “excessive American demands” for the collapsed talks, while other Iranian outlets noted that while incremental progress was made on secondary issues, two major flashpoints—the future of the strategic Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program—proved impossible to reconcile. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei framed the negotiations as having taken place against a backdrop of deep long-standing distrust between the two nations, adding that a comprehensive deal was never a realistic outcome for a single round of talks. Still, he emphasized that diplomatic channels would remain open, noting that “Diplomacy never ends.”

    JD Vance, U.S. Vice President and leader of the American delegation, told reporters that Iran had rejected Washington’s “final and best offer” during the discussions. “The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad for the U.S,” Vance said, offering no clarity on how the U.S. would act once the 14-day Pakistan-brokered ceasefire expires. Iran’s delegation was led by Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, a composition that analysts had previously viewed as a clear signal of Tehran’s seriousness about reaching a negotiated settlement. Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and a leading expert on US-Iran relations, noted ahead of the talks that the size and seniority of the Iranian delegation “signal both Tehran’s sincerity in these negotiations and its clear expectations and confidence.”

    Pakistani mediators, who spearheaded the efforts to bring the two adversaries to the table, have publicly urged both sides to extend the ceasefire and continue negotiating. “We hope that the two sides continue with a positive spirit to achieve durable peace and prosperity for the entire region and beyond,” Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said. A senior Pakistani source involved in the negotiations told Reuters that the talks saw sharp shifts in tone, with tensions rising and falling repeatedly across the marathon overnight session that began Saturday.

    Going into the negotiations, unconfirmed reports emerged that the U.S. had agreed to unfreeze billions of dollars in Iranian assets held in Qatar and other foreign banks, a claim a senior U.S. official quickly denied. Tehran has laid out clear non-negotiable demands in the talks: full sovereign control over the Strait of Hormuz, war reparations for American and Israeli strikes, and a region-wide ceasefire that includes an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon. Israel has refused to include the Lebanon conflict in any truce with Iran, and new Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday and Sunday killed 18 people, pushing the total death toll from Israel’s campaign in the country past 2,000 since the outbreak of the wider war.

    Control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s daily seaborne oil trade passed before the conflict, has emerged as Iran’s most powerful strategic leverage in the negotiations. Since the war began, Iran has effectively restricted access to the waterway, with only 12 vessels recorded passing through since the ceasefire took effect, compared to more than 100 per day pre-war. Tensions over the strategic chokepoint flared even during the talks: the U.S. military announced that two American destroyers had transited the strait ahead of planned mine-clearing operations, marking the first U.S. military passage since the war began. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Naval Force quickly rejected the U.S. claim and issued a stark warning. “Any attempt by military vessels to cross the Strait of Hormuz will be confronted firmly and decisively,” the command said in a statement.

  • Brazilian counsellor highlights Heze peonies’ cultural values

    Brazilian counsellor highlights Heze peonies’ cultural values

    Against a backdrop of growing global demand for cross-cultural people-to-people exchange, the 2026 Heze Peony International Communication Forum kicked off on April 11 in Heze, a city in East China’s Shandong Province long renowned as China’s “Peony Capital”. The event drew diplomatic representatives, cultural scholars and industry practitioners from across China and around the world, all gathering to explore how the iconic flower can act as a soft medium to strengthen cross-border connection and mutual understanding.

    Among the participating international guests was Rodrigo Mendes Araujo, Counsellor for Energy, Mines and Intellectual Property at the Embassy of Brazil in Beijing. In his remarks at the forum, Araujo centered his discussion on the evolving global role of Heze’s peony culture, focusing particular attention on China’s innovative approach to revitalizing traditional cultural heritage.

    Araujo emphasized that China has achieved a remarkable balance between cultural preservation and economic development, successfully transforming centuries-old peony heritage into a dynamic, thriving creative and commercial industry. Beyond domestic economic benefits, he noted, this development has also positioned peony culture as a powerful, approachable bridge for international cultural exchange. He added that forums focused on Heze peonies create a valuable, accessible entry point for Brazilian audiences and the broader Latin American public to dive into the deep historical roots of Chinese traditional culture, breaking down cultural barriers through shared appreciation for natural beauty and cultural tradition.

    As one of China’s most iconic traditional flowers, the peony has been embedded in Chinese art, literature and cultural identity for more than 1,500 years. Heze, which is home to over 1200 varieties of peony cultivated across more than 40,000 hectares of farmland, has built peony culture into a core part of its regional identity and international branding, hosting annual international exchange events to share the flower’s cultural significance with global audiences.

  • How talks broke down in Islamabad, with both sides blaming each other

    How talks broke down in Islamabad, with both sides blaming each other

    After nearly a full day of closed-door, high-stakes negotiations in Islamabad that marked the highest-level diplomatic encounter between Washington and Tehran in half a century, marathon ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran concluded Sunday morning without a final agreement, leaving core strategic disagreements unresolved and casting uncertainty over future diplomatic engagement.

    The negotiating teams brought unprecedented senior representation to the table: the U.S. delegation was led by Vice President JD Vance, with participation from special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior advisor Jared Kushner, while Iran was represented by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Throughout the more than 21 hours of discussions, the U.S. team maintained continuous communication with President Donald Trump, who adopted a detached public posture ahead of the talks, telling reporters that a potential deal made “no difference” to him as he traveled to Miami for a Ultimate Fighting Championship event. Trump remained at the venue watching the fight as Vance addressed the press following the negotiation collapse.

    Speaking to reporters after the talks, Vance acknowledged that no consensus had been reached, framing the stalled outcome as far more detrimental to Iran than to the United States. He emphasized that Washington left the table with its final, best offer on the table, and would await Tehran’s response to the proposal. The core U.S. demand, Vance explained, remains a long-term, binding commitment from Iran that it will never pursue a nuclear weapon or the capabilities to rapidly develop one – a goal he said has not yet been met. While Vance noted that Iran’s pre-existing enrichment facilities and previous nuclear infrastructure had already been destroyed, he stressed that the remaining sticking point is a fundamental change in Iranian willingness to rule out nuclear weapons development permanently, not just for the near term. “We haven’t seen that yet. We hope that we will,” he added.

    Iran’s perspective on the stalemate differs sharply. According to a report from Iran’s Tasnim News Agency citing an anonymous informed source, Tehran claims the “ball is in America’s court”, noting that Iranian negotiators put forward multiple reasonable initiatives during the talks. The report also warned that the status of the Strait of Hormuz – a critical global oil chokepoint currently controlled by Iran – will remain unchanged unless Washington accepts a deal that aligns with Tehran’s definition of reasonable terms.

    In a post on the social platform X, Ghalibaf reinforced Iran’s position, saying that while Tehran entered the talks with good faith and a willingness to compromise, decades of historical trauma from two prior conflicts left the Iranian delegation deeply distrustful of U.S. intentions, and the U.S. side ultimately failed to earn that trust in this round of talks. Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei noted that expecting a final, comprehensive deal from a single negotiating round was always unrealistic, given weeks of prior armed conflict and decades of deep mutual mistrust between the two nations. While he confirmed that the two sides reached preliminary understandings on a small number of issues, he said two to three core questions remain unaddressed, and any future progress will depend on the U.S. demonstrating genuine good faith and recognizing Iran’s legitimate rights and national interests. Baghaei also added that diplomatic channels remain open, and Iran will continue consultations with Pakistan and other regional partner states.

    Pakistan, which served as the host for the historic talks, has called on both sides to maintain the current ceasefire and return to dialogue with a constructive approach. Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar stressed that reaching a durable, long-term peace for the region must be the top priority for both parties, and confirmed that Pakistan will continue to act as a neutral facilitator for future negotiations if needed.

    Key U.S. allies have expressed disappointment over the lack of a breakthrough. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called on both nations to uphold the existing ceasefire and resume negotiations to find common ground. British Health Secretary Wes Streeting echoed that sentiment, saying that while the lack of an immediate breakthrough is disappointing, diplomatic efforts should continue. “As ever in diplomacy, you’re failing until you succeed. So while these talks may not have ended in success, doesn’t mean there isn’t merit in continuing to try,” Streeting said.

    To date, no date or location has been scheduled for a potential second round of talks, leaving regional stability and nuclear non-proliferation efforts in limbo.

  • Crown prince of Abu Dhabi to begin three-day China visit

    Crown prince of Abu Dhabi to begin three-day China visit

    The crown prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is scheduled to launch a three-day official visit to China from April 13 to 15, 2026, at the formal invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, according to an official announcement from China Daily updated on April 12.

    Per the Abu Dhabi Media Office, Sheikh Khaled will travel with a high-profile cross-sector delegation that includes top UAE ministers, senior government officials, and leading business figures from the Gulf nation. This visit is rooted in the mutual commitment shared by Beijing and Abu Dhabi to strengthen long-standing bilateral relations and expand collaborative projects that deliver shared benefits to both sides.

    The agenda of the visit centers on advancing existing cooperation and lifting the UAE-China comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights. The two sides are expected to exchange views on collaboration across multiple key priority sectors that have formed the foundation of their decades-long diplomatic and economic ties, aligning with the shared development goals of both nations.

  • KMT chairwoman applauds Zhongguancun’s boundless future

    KMT chairwoman applauds Zhongguancun’s boundless future

    On Saturday, Cheng Li-wun, chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT), led a cross-strait delegation on a visit to the Zhongguancun National Innovation Demonstration Zone Exhibition Center in Beijing. Following an in-depth tour of the exhibition that showcased the zone’s decades-long development trajectory and cutting-edge technological breakthroughs, Cheng publicly praised the hub’s boundless growth prospects.
    Zhongguancun, located in Beijing’s Haidian District, has long been recognized as China’s primary cradle of scientific and technological innovation, home to hundreds of top-tier universities, research institutions, and global leading tech enterprises. During her visit, Cheng emphasized that the district, and Zhongguancun in particular, has evolved into a global magnet that attracts the most talented and innovative minds from across the world. She noted that the area’s vibrant ecosystem of entrepreneurship and collaboration has created unique opportunities for technological advancement that few other regions can match, a dynamic that positions it for exponential growth in the coming decades.
    The visit comes as part of ongoing cross-strait exchanges focused on innovation, economic cooperation, and people-to-people connectivity, offering a platform for both sides to explore shared opportunities in the fast-growing tech sector.

  • Mainland rolls out comprehensive policy package to boost cross-Strait ties

    Mainland rolls out comprehensive policy package to boost cross-Strait ties

    On April 12, 2026, the Chinese mainland introduced a far-reaching set of preferential policies crafted to advance the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and lift the well-being of people living on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Unveiled by the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee following extensive consultations with relevant national and local departments, the 12-point policy framework spans five core areas: political dialogue, youth exchanges, infrastructure and transportation connectivity, trade and economic cooperation, and cultural exchange.

    At the political core of the initiative is a proposal for a regularized communication mechanism between the Communist Party of China and the Chinese Kuomintang, built on the shared foundation of upholding the 1992 Consensus and firm opposition to the separatist “Taiwan independence” movement. The entire policy package is rooted in the long-held principle that “compatriots across the Strait are one family,” designed to directly respond to the widespread shared desire among people on both sides for peace, growth, people-to-people exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation.

    To deepen cross-generation connections, the plan formalizes an institutionalized two-way youth exchange platform. Leading mainland youth organizations including the All-China Youth Federation will partner with Kuomintang youth bodies to host annual structured exchange activities, with an estimated 20 Taiwanese youth delegations invited to visit different regions of the mainland each year to build personal connections and learn about mainland development.

    For infrastructure and livelihood improvements, mainland authorities will explore expanded cross-Strait utility connectivity where conditions allow, including the potential integration of water, power and natural gas networks between coastal Fujian Province and the Taiwan-administered Kinmen (Jinmen) and Matsu islands. The project is explicitly aimed at raising living standards for local residents on both sides of the strait. On transportation, the mainland will push for full normalization of cross-Strait passenger flights, restore suspended air routes linking Taiwan with under-connected mainland cities including Urumqi, Xi’an, Harbin, Kunming and Lanzhou, and support shared access for Kinmen residents to the newly built international airport in Xiamen, Fujian.

    On the economic and trade front, the new package introduces multiple measures to lower barriers for Taiwan-based producers. A dedicated new communication mechanism will be set up to streamline imports of Taiwanese agricultural and fisheries products that meet mainland inspection and quarantine standards. Taiwan producers will receive targeted support to participate in major mainland trade shows and business matchmaking events to expand their market access, and authorities are exploring the construction of dedicated berthing facilities in eligible mainland ports for Taiwanese deep-sea fishing vessels to ease entry and sales of their catches on the mainland. Additional steps include simplified registration and export procedures for Taiwanese food manufacturers, and exploratory work to establish small-scale cross-Strait commodity trading hubs to help Taiwanese small and medium-sized enterprises enter the mainland consumer market.

    In the cultural sector, the mainland will open more satellite television channels and online streaming platforms to high-quality Taiwanese television dramas, documentaries and animated works, while encouraging creators from Taiwan to develop original short-form web content centered on the shared cultural heritage of cross-Strait compatriots to strengthen people-to-people bonds. Authorities also plan to resume pilot programs for individual tourists from Shanghai and Fujian to travel to Taiwan, restoring a popular people-to-people travel route that was suspended in recent years.

    The release of the comprehensive policy package came as a six-day official visit to the mainland by a delegation led by Chinese Kuomintang Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun drew to a close, marking a new step forward in cross-Strait dialogue amid growing calls for renewed cooperation.