New policies give fresh impetus to cross-Straits ties

Members of China's top political advisory body have urged the government to unveil detailed implementation measures as soon as possible, following the launch of a series of policies to further expand economic and cultural exchanges across the Taiwan Straits.

On Feb 28, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council issued a document composed of 31 measures to promote cross-Straits economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation. According to the latest policies, Taiwan people will be granted equal treatment with residents of the Chinese mainland gradually with regard to entrepreneurship, employment, education and living.

"Following the issuance of the measures, many young people have called us from Taiwan, asking how they can take qualification exams for permission to practice certain professions such as medicine in the mainland. We told them to wait for the release of detailed implementation plans," said Yang Yizhou, vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots, on the sidelines of this year's session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Nowadays, Taiwan youth have become major participants of cross-Straits exchanges and an important force to influence the development of cross-Straits relations, said Xiao Qingwei, vice-president of Minnan Normal University in Zhangzhou, Fujian province, at a forum on youth innovation and entrepreneurship in Beijing last year.

By the end of 2016, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council had approved the establishment of 53 cross-Straits youth entrepreneurship bases and demonstration sites. In Fujian province alone, such bases have attracted more than 2,000 young people from Taiwan to start their own business in the mainland, said Yang, who is also a member of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC.

"Some policies concerning cross-Straits youth entrepreneurship should be adjusted to better serve the needs of the Taiwan people. We hope to improve these youth entrepreneurship bases and to help them attract more Taiwan youth to the mainland for entrepreneurship and employment," Yang said.

The central government has created many favorable conditions in this regard, said Zhang Jiaji, a member of the Central Committee of the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League and a member of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC.

Zhang stressed that how to carry out the central government's decision to grant Taiwan people equal treatment with residents of the Chinese mainland is the most crucial part of the recently introduced policies.

"These 31 measures have shown the consistency and steadiness of the central government's policy on Taiwan. Although Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen has refused to recognize the 1992 Consensus, the central government is still sticking to its Taiwan policy and keeps on delivering goodwill to Taiwan people while cross-Straits relations are at a low ebb. It shows that central authorities have a big heart," he said.

"Further studies must be conducted to make these 31 measures easy to understand and easy to implement. The relevant government authorities should also supervise the implementation of the new policies, identify problems and make timely adjustments," he said.