Taiwan rejects China's call to support Xiamen-Kinmen bridge, calls it 'unification puzzle piece'

China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) has called on Taiwan to support the full opening of the Xiamen-Kinmen bridge, asserting it would invigorate Kinmen's economy and foster a closer "same-city life circle" between the two regions. The TAO urged Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities to cease political calculations and prioritize the interests of Kinmen residents by supporting the bridge's early completion and operation.

The TAO spokesperson, Zhang Han, claimed that building the Xiamen-Kinmen bridge is a "common call and urgent wish" of the people in Xiamen and Kinmen. She referenced a 2023 policy document from Beijing that explicitly calls for exploring infrastructure cooperation models with Kinmen, including electricity, gas, and bridge connections. Construction on the Xiamen section of the bridge began in October 2023 and is reportedly progressing steadily.

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The DPP authorities should face the interests of Kinmen compatriots, stop political calculations, truly work for the people, and support the early completion and opening of the Xiamen-Kinmen bridge.

Zhang Han further elaborated that upon completion, the bridge could facilitate the transport of water, electricity, and gas to Kinmen via pipelines, thereby improving its development environment. This infrastructure, she suggested, would complement existing "mini-three-links" sea routes, increasing transit options between Xiamen and Kinmen.

However, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council spokesperson, Liang Wen-chieh, firmly rejected these claims. He stated that the government has no policy supporting the Xiamen-Kinmen bridge, dismissing it as "a key piece of the unification plan" that Taiwan does not intend to endorse. Liang reiterated that this matter has been addressed multiple times, emphasizing that the proposed bridge is part of Beijing's long-term strategy for "cross-strait integration."

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The government has no such policy. It is considered an important piece of the unification plan, and we do not intend to echo such a claim.