Taipei: The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced that the Chinese authorities are likely implementing a "dual approach of peace and war" by establishing a zone near Taiwan for "live-fire exercises" while Fujian Province introduced 17 new measures intended to benefit Taiwanese during a two-day annual work conference on Taiwan affairs.
According to Focus Taiwan, Liang Wen-chieh, MAC deputy head and spokesperson, stated at a news conference that the simultaneous military exercises and the announcement of preferential measures seem to represent a dual strategy. Senior Chinese Communist Party officials participated in the annual work conference on Taiwan affairs in Beijing.
During the conference, Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, emphasized the importance of "maintaining the initiative and the ability to steer relations across the Taiwan Strait," as reported by China's state-run Xinhua News Agency.
Following the Chinese military's demarcation of an area for "live-fire drills" in international waters near Kaohsiung and Pingtung County, Fujian Provincial Government unveiled 17 preferential measures for Taiwanese. These measures aim to facilitate the online renewal of Chinese residence cards for Taiwanese citizens and support their career development in China's lithium battery industry, according to China Central Television News.
Liang, however, expressed doubts about the effectiveness of these new measures. He noted that four rounds of integration measures between Fujian and Taiwan have been introduced since 2023, but their impact appears limited.
The Taiwanese authorities are particularly concerned about the military exercise, with Liang highlighting China's continued preference for military intimidation, which they consider a more effective approach. Liang added that the MAC "strongly condemns" the military exercise, labeling it an "irresponsible provocation and disruption" of stability in the Taiwan Strait that "severely damaged" cross-strait relations.