The KMT-CCP Think Tank Forum was held in Beijing, where both sides reached 15 joint agreements including the restoration of normal cross-strait exchanges. (Image from Xinhua News Agency)
The MAC's response followed a think tank forum held in Beijing on February 3, where representatives of the Kuomintang (KMT) andthe Chinese Communist Party (CCP) outlined proposals aimed at normalizing cross-strait travel and expanding cooperation across multiple sectors. The Council said the forum's conclusions closely align with Beijing's integration agenda toward Taiwan and represent a return to what it described as a failed “westward expansion” path—one that ignores China's sustained military pressure and political coercion.
The forum, titled Prospects for Cross-Strait Exchange and Cooperation, was co-hosted by the KMT's National Policy Research Foundation and the CCP's Taiwan Work Office. It was led by KMT Vice Chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑). The KMT delegation also included Lee Hung-yuan (李鴻源), a former interior minister and vice chairman of the party's National Policy Research Foundation. China's delegation was headed by Song Tao (宋濤), director of the Taiwan Affairs Office.
A KMT-CCP forum was held in Beijing on February 3, with KMT Vice Chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen (left) and Taiwan Affairs Office Director Song Tao (right) delivering the opening remarks.(China Review News Agency)
According to the forum's concluding statement, the two sides' think tanks agreed on a 15-point framework spanning transportation, industry, healthcare, environmental policy, and disaster prevention.
Normalization of cross-strait personnel exchanges 1. Call for the removal of what the forum described as “artificial restrictions” imposed by the DPP government on cross-strait personnel exchanges. 2. Urge the full and prompt restoration of regular cross-strait sea and air passenger services. 3. Deepen cooperation and exchanges in cross-strait tourism.
Cooperation in emerging industries 4. Promote exchanges among cross-strait enterprises, research institutions, and industry organizations. 5. Jointly develop flagship projects integrating artificial intelligence with manufacturing. 6. Support green upgrades across cross-strait industrial supply chains.
Healthcare and wellness cooperation 7. Promote exchanges and cooperation between cross-strait medical and public health sectors. 8. Integrate traditional Chinese medicine resources and technologies across the strait. 9. Deepen cooperation in healthcare and wellness services.
Environmental and sustainability cooperation 10. Support collaboration in clean energy, ecological restoration, and solid waste resource utilization. 11. Conduct joint research on harmonizing environmental standards. 12. Enhance communication and exchanges related to carbon markets.
Disaster prevention and mitigation 13. Deepen professional exchanges in disaster prevention and mitigation. 14. Promote integration of disaster-risk-reduction talent and related industries. 15. Jointly research shared cross-strait standards for disaster prevention and mitigation.
MAC: ‘Reversing Cause and Effect'
In a stern response, the MAC accused the KMT of “reversing cause and effect,” stressing that current barriers to cross-strait travel stem entirely from Beijing's unilateral suspension of tourism and its tightening of national security legislation—measures that have raised safety concerns for Taiwanese travelers.
The Council also highlighted Taiwan's broader economic realignment, noting that investment in China has fallen sharply—from 83.8% of Taiwan's total overseas investment in 2010 to just 3.75% in 2025. It warned that Beijing is attempting to attract Taiwanese capital and talent to offset its own economic slowdown. It urged domestic political actors to avoid undermining Taiwan's sovereignty or blurring international perceptions of the island's strategic direction.
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