Mainland pledges deeper cross-Strait integration in 2026

The Chinese mainland has pledged to expand cooperation and dialogue with Taiwan while advancing integrated development across the Taiwan Strait in 2026, officials and experts said.

Song Tao, head of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in a New Year message to Taiwan compatriots on Friday that the mainland is committed to promoting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and advancing national reunification based on the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus.

Song said the mainland will create more favorable conditions for Taiwan enterprises and residents to study, work and live on the mainland, while further expanding cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation. He reaffirmed that the mainland will resolutely oppose "Taiwan independence" separatism and external interference, support patriotic forces on the island that uphold reunification, and safeguard peace and stability across the Strait.

Reflecting on 2025, Song described it as a year for all Chinese people to remember history and share its glory, as it marked the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the restoration of Taiwan to China. He also called it a year of overcoming challenges and building momentum toward reunification.

Song said policies facilitating visits by Taiwan residents in 2025 led to a notable increase in visitors from the island, including young people and first-time travelers. The mainland also advanced high-quality demonstration zones for cross-Strait integrated development and implemented policies granting Taiwan compatriots and enterprises equal treatment, enhancing their welfare and interests.

Chen Guiqing, a research fellow at the Institute of Taiwan Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the mainland's measures — ranging from designating Oct 25 as the commemoration day of Taiwan's restoration to legal actions against "Taiwan independence" forces — produced tangible results.

"These efforts not only opposed and contained separatism but also advanced integrated development and reunification," Chen said. He added that public perceptions in Taiwan have shifted, with more people recognizing that national reunification is inevitable and that the path of "Taiwan independence" leads to a dead end.

Hung Hsiu-chu, former chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, wrote on social media on Thursday that the turbulence of 2025 helped more people in Taiwan recognize that cross-Strait relations are not a chessboard for outsiders, but a shared future for people on both sides of the Strait.

Song also underscored the mainland's willingness to engage in dialogue and consultation with all political parties, groups and individuals in Taiwan who support cross-Strait relations and national reunification, based on the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus. He called on compatriots on both sides of the Strait to oppose separatism and promote reunification.

In Taiwan, KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun recently stressed the importance of cross-Strait dialogue across sectors in 2026, urging the Democratic Progressive Party authorities to accept the 1992 Consensus and oppose "Taiwan independence."

"The 1992 Consensus confirms that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China, leaving no room for doubt," Cheng said.

Kuo Kuan-ying, a political commentator in Taiwan, attributed current tensions across the Strait to "Taiwan independence" forces, saying they have used public funds to purchase weapons from the United States. He said that despite the continued severity of the issue, the mainland has maintained a focus on pursuing a peaceful path.

On Thursday, Chen Binhua, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, condemned recent remarks by Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te, saying they were filled with lies and hostility. He said Lai has ignored mainstream public opinion in Taiwan, clung to a "Taiwan independence" separatist position, spread falsehoods and exacerbated tensions across the Taiwan Strait.