After a nine-year suspension, the Kuomintang–Chinese Communist Party (KMT–CCP) Forum resumed on February 3 in Beijing, with a Kuomintang delegation led by Vice Chairman Hsiao Hsutsen（蕭旭岑）. The event marked the revival of a party-to-party dialogue platform that has remained dormant since 2016, against the backdrop of strained cross-strait relations.
In his opening remarks, Hsiao emphasized economic cooperation as the central focus of cross-strait engagement. He argued that collaboration should be aimed at competing in global markets, rather than confrontation across the Taiwan Strait, which he said could allow external actors to benefit while weakening Taiwan’s economic foundations and long-term prospects.
The forum was jointly organized by the Cross-Strait Relations Research Center under the Chinese Communist Party’s Taiwan affairs system and the Kuomintang’s National Policy Research Foundation. According to the organizers, discussions centered on cross-strait tourism, industrial cooperation, environmental issues, and sustainable development.
Also speaking at the forum, Song Tao（宋濤）, director of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, reiterated Beijing’s long-standing political stance on cross-strait relations. He stated that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to “one China” and stressed adherence to the “1992 Consensus” and opposition to Taiwan independence as the political foundation for cross-strait engagement.
Song highlighted the scale of cross-strait economic ties, citing official figures showing that bilateral trade reached approximately USD 314.3 billion in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 7.3 percent. He described the mainland economy as having a solid foundation and complete industrial and supply chains, and said Beijing would continue to introduce measures to promote cross-strait economic exchanges and industrial cooperation.
Calling on Taiwanese businesses and individuals to seize what he described as emerging opportunities, Song encouraged greater participation in the mainland’s development, linking economic cooperation with broader goals of national development.
Hsiao, meanwhile, referred to the period between 2008 and 2016, when the Kuomintang was in power in Taiwan, as a phase of expanded cross-strait exchanges. He noted that during those years, the two sides concluded multiple agreements, including the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), and saw growth in tourism, student exchanges, and trade.
Hsiao reiterated that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is essential to safeguarding economic interests on both sides, adding that confrontation or conflict would not benefit the people of Taiwan or the broader region.
The resumption of the KMT–CCP Forum comes at a time when official communication channels between Taipei and Beijing remain limited. While the forum does not involve Taiwan’s current government, it continues to function as a platform for dialogue between the opposition Kuomintang and institutions linked to the Chinese Communist Party.
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