China says it will resume direct flights and aquaculture imports with Taiwan

China said on Sunday it would resume ties with Taiwan such as direct flights and imports of Taiwanese seafood following a visit by Beijing's opposition leader to the self-governing island.

The Taiwan Work Office under the Communist Party of China issued a statement saying that it will examine the establishment of the long-standing communication between the Communist Party and the Taiwan Kuommingtang Party. It said it would facilitate the import of aquaculture products from Taiwan that it had previously banned.

Cheng Li-wun, head of the Kuomingtang, and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a high-level meeting on Friday where they called for peace, without giving details. China claims that the island is part of its territory and has not withdrawn its use of force to take it.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, which oversees relations with China, said the measures announced, such as promoting communication, are “political negotiations” between the two organizations that bypass the Taiwanese government.

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“The position of the government is clear: in order to ensure the interests of the nation and its people, all Cross-Strait issues that affect public power must be discussed by both governments in an equal and dignified manner in order to work effectively and truly protect the rights and welfare of the people,” said the State Affairs Council when responding to China's announcement.

Relations between China and Taiwan, which have been separated since 1949, have been strained since the election of self-governing President Tsai Ing-wen from the Democratic Progressive Party in 2016. Beijing broke off most of its formal negotiations with the Taiwanese government, and has begun sending warships and warplanes near the island on a daily basis.

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Xi Jinping meets with a delegation of the Kuomintang in Beijing, China, April 10, 2026. Taiwan has backed down after China announced new cross-road measures following Xi Jinping's meeting with a friendly opposition leader in Beijing. (Li Xiang/Xinhua via Getty Images)

In a statement, China said it plans to resume direct flights between Taiwan and major cities such as Xi'an or Urumqi, although it is not clear how these measures will be implemented without the approval of the Taiwanese government.

China banned its citizens from individual travel to Taiwan in 2019. Taiwan's laws now require Chinese visitors to hold a valid residence visa from another country, such as the US or the European Union, in order to apply for a visitor visa.

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Xi Jinping speaks during a meeting with Taiwanese opposition leader Cheng Li-wun at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday, April 10, 2026. China is offering limited trade and tourism opportunities to Taiwan while continuing to press its territorial claim over the self-governing island. (Xie Huanchi/Xinhua via AP)

China also said it will work on the construction of a bridge that will connect the mainland with Matsu and Kinmen, Taiwan's closest islands to China. The project is a long-standing proposal that Beijing has previously announced.

China banned Taiwanese pineapple imports in 2021, and has since expanded to other fruits and products including grouper fish, squid and tuna.

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After the initial grouper ban, Taiwan's Ministry of Agriculture said it had spoken with China about making changes to ensure it met import requirements. China responded with a limited list of individual companies allowed to sell to China, but without explanation.