Taiwan Affairs Office

Beijing has criticized Lai's speech, saying it provokes confrontation and undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

State-run Xinhua News Agency carried a statement issued by a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of China's State Council.

It says that China will resolutely combat secessionist forces and oppose external interference.

Young people gathered in Seoul on Saturday to participate in the twenty-second edition of a Japan-South Korea cultural exchange event.

The celebrations continued into the night, when a fireworks show lit up Taipei 101 at 10 in the evening, prompting authorities to temporarily close nearby metro exits and reroute 34 bus routes to manage the crowds.

Now, to cross straight developments, China's Taiwan Affairs Office condemned President William Lai's National Day speech on Friday as a performance revealing what it called the true colours of a pragmatic Taiwan independence worker, accusing him of disregarding facts and confounding right and wrong, and reiterating that Taiwan's future must be decided by all Chinese people.

The office repeated its one-China-and-1992 consensus framing in rejecting Lai's description of cross-straight relations.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council shot back that Taiwan's future can only be decided by its 23 million people and that the Chinese Communist Party has no right to interfere.

The Yunlin-class patrol vessel expelled the boats, which the Coast Guard said were operating without authorization, and crews were given 35 boxed meals during the standoff.

Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office warned that Taiwan would bear full responsibility for any serious consequences from the use of dangerous methods against vessels it claimed were operating normally in the area.

Now the weather.

The northeast monsoon that brought rain to northern and eastern Taiwan will weaken slightly on Friday.

The Chinese mainland says it will take steps to expand cross-strait economic exchanges and help more Taiwan farmers and fishermen access the mainland market.

Spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office says the measures introduced back in April to promote cross-strait exchanges are already producing results.

In April of this year, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China authorized the release of ten policy measures designed to promote cross-strait exchanges and cooperation.

On the common political foundation of upholding the 1992 consensus and opposing Taiwan separatism, relevant parties of both sides of the strait have worked together to translate these policies into action.

helping more agricultural and fishery producers from the island expand into the mainland market and achieving positive results.

Beijing has increased military and political pressure around Taiwan and continues to reject President Lai's offers of talks, calling him a separatist.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office said it manages Taiwan's APEC participation under relevant conventions and the One China principle.

Taiwan participates in APEC under the name Chinese Taipei.

Taiwan's president does not attend the APEC Leaders Summit with former officials or business leaders traditionally representing the island instead.

Revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen envisioned that canal project around 100 years ago.

State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian shared reactions from the Taiwan business community.

Taiwan business people generally believe that the Pinglu Canal will facilitate the linkage of enterprises from the Taiwan region with the resources of cities in China's west.

Through the integration of railway, river and sea transportation, it can effectively reduce the logistics costs for imports and exports, forming a production chain from processing raw materials in the West to transportation by river and sea in Guangxi, and then to sales in the ASEAN market.