China's central government will advance cross-strait economic cooperation and deepen people-to-people exchanges in the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2025-2030), Chen Binhua, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.
The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for national economic and social development was approved on March 12 at the closing meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress.
Chen said the outline sets out goals and tasks of promoting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and advancing the cause of national reunification in the course of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects.
In terms of promoting cross-strait economic cooperation, Chen said the central government will continue to introduce and implement policies and measures that benefit Taiwan compatriots and enterprises.
"We support Taiwan enterprises in taking root in the mainland, participating in the country's regional development strategies and jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative, strengthening industrial cooperation, and building a cross-strait common market. We support Fujian in the high-quality construction of a demonstration zone for integrated cross-strait development, and the development of key cross-strait cooperation platforms in Pingtan, Kunshan, and Dongguan, and cross-strait industrial cooperation zones. We support building a multi-level cross-strait financial market and encourage eligible Taiwan-funded enterprises to list in the mainland," he said.
Chen also spoke about areas to deepen exchanges on. "We will improve systems and policies that promote cross-strait economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation, expand personnel exchanges across the strait, and promote exchanges, interactions, and integration. We will deepen cooperation in education, medical care and other fields, and in sharing social security and public resources. We will promote cross-strait cultural exchanges, jointly inherit and carry forward Chinese culture, and enhance Taiwan compatriots' national identity, cultural identity, and country identity. We will strengthen youth and grassroots exchanges, and continue to create better conditions for young people from Taiwan to pursue, build, and realize their dreams in the mainland. We will implement policies ensuring Taiwan compatriots to enjoy equal treatment and create better conditions for Taiwan compatriots to study, work, and live in the mainland," he said.
Central government to promote cross-strait economic cooperation
