In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, right shakes hands with Kuomintang (KMT) party leader Cheng Li-wun in Beijing on Friday, April 10, 2026. (Xie Huanchi/Xinhua via AP)2026-04-12T05:37:19Z BANGKOK (AP) China said Sunday it would resume some ties it had suspended with Taiwan such as direct flights and imports of Taiwanese aquaculture products following a visit by the Beijing-friendly opposition leader of the self-ruled island. The Taiwan Work Office under Chinas Communist Party issued a statement saying it would explore setting up a longstanding communication mechanism between the Communist Party and Taiwans Kuomingtang Party. It said it will facilitate the import of Taiwans aquaculture products that it had previously banned. Cheng Li-wun, the head of the Kuomingtang, and Chinas President Xi Jinping held a high-profile meeting Friday during which they called for peace, without offering specifics. China claims the island as part of its territory and hasnt ruled out the use of force to annex it. Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council, which oversees the relationship with China, said the measures that were announced, such as promoting a communication mechanism, were political transactions between the two parties that circumvented the government of Taiwan. The governments position is clear: to ensure the interests of the nation and its people, all Cross-Strait affairs involving public power must be negotiated by both governments on an equal and dignified basis to be effective and truly protect the rights and well-being of the people, the Mainland Affairs Council said in response to the Chinese announcement. Relations between China and Taiwan, which remain split since 1949, have been tense since the election of pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen from the Democratic Progressive Party in 2016. Beijing cut off most of its official dialogue with Taiwans government, and has started sending warships and fighter jets closer toward the island on a daily basis. Read More In the statement, China said it plans to resume direct flights between Taiwan and mainland cities like Xian or Urumqi, although it remained unclear how the measures will be implemented without the approval of the Taiwanese government. China banned its citizens from individual trips to Taiwan in 2019. Taiwans rules now require Chinese visitors to hold a valid resident visa from another country, like the U.S. or the European Union, to apply for a visitor visa. China also said it would work toward construction of a bridge that would connect the mainland to Matsu and Kinmen, Taiwanese islands that are closer geographically to China. The project is a longstanding proposal that Beijing has previously announced. China banned the import of Taiwanese pineapples in 2021, and since then has extended it to other fruits and products including the grouper fish, squid and tuna.After the initial ban on grouper, Taiwans Ministry of Agriculture said it approached China about making adjustments to ensure it met import requirements. China replied with a limited list of individual companies that were allowed to sell to China, but without explanation. HUIZHONG WU Wu covers Chinese culture, society, and politics for The Associated Press, as well as the countrys growing overseas influence from Bangkok. She was previously based in Taiwan and China. twitter