Economic blueprint aims to benefit Taiwan residents

Li Tzu-ying, a doctoral graduate of cultural studies from Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan, became a university teacher in Fujian province－the closest mainland province to her hometown－in 2018.

"I was lucky to get the job on the mainland, which is beneficial for my research," said Li, who teaches and conducts research on the culture of southern Fujian and Taiwan at Minnan Normal University in the province's Zhangzhou city. "There are many similarities between Fujian and Taiwan, including the same dialect, snacks and folk tales."

More development opportunities will be open to Taiwan residents who come to the mainland in the following years, as outlined in the Communist Party of China leadership's proposals issued in November for formulating the blueprint for China's economic development from the next five to 15 years, officials and experts said.

The blueprint states that the mainland will promote integrated development across the Straits and strengthen industrial cooperation for the well-being of compatriots on both sides.

Taiwan businesses will be encouraged to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative and the mainland's coordinated regional development strategies, according to the document.

It explicitly points out that the mainland will support qualified Taiwan-funded enterprises to be listed in mainland stock exchanges and support Fujian to explore a new path for cross-Straits integrated development.

Policies will be improved to ensure Taiwan residents on the mainland can enjoy the same treatment as local residents, the document said.

Liu Jieyi, head of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said the blueprint will create better opportunities for Taiwan compatriots to develop on the mainland and will lay a more solid foundation for the promotion of national rejuvenation and reunification.

Zhu Songling, a professor at the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Beijing Union University, said the policies basically maintain the central leadership's existing policies toward Taiwan, which is to increase integrated development between the two sides to promote the process of national reunification.

Supporting Taiwan businesses on the mainland and promoting cross-Straits economic and trade cooperation are highlighted in the document, he said, adding that Taiwan businesses on the mainland can promote the economic development of the investment areas, create job opportunities and provide certain products to meet the needs of people on the mainland.

Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global economic recession, cross-Straits trade this year, especially Taiwan's exports to the mainland, has increased compared to last year, official data show.

Trade between the two sides reached $209 billion in the first 10 months of this year, up 13 percent year-on-year, according to statistics from the General Administration of Customs.

Data from the island authority showed that Taiwan's exports to the mainland and Hong Kong accounted for 43.6 percent of its total exports between January and October.

Zhang Zhijun, president of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, said the increasing investment from Taiwan businesses on the mainland demonstrates their confidence and determination for developing on the mainland for the long term.

The plan for the following years will create more space for cross-Straits economic cooperation and more opportunities and benefits for Taiwan businesses, he said, adding that Taiwan enterprises should integrate into the trend of high-quality economic development on the mainland for greater development of their own undertakings.

"The document shows the mainland's sincerity to Taiwan compatriots and strengthens the confidence of Taiwan businessmen on the mainland," said Lee Cheng-hung, president of the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland.

In the future, there is expected to be a trend for Taiwan companies to list on the mainland, he said, adding that "Taiwan-funded companies should grasp the development direction that the country attaches importance to and combine their own advantages to grow stronger."