Beijing pushes Taiwan exchanges at Straits Forum despite tightened restrictions

Beijing pushes Taiwan exchanges at Straits Forum despite tightened restrictions Annual event meant to spur cross-strait integration takes place amid expanded ban by island’s ruling party on who can attend The Straits Forum, now in its 18th edition since 2009, is Beijing’s key platform for cross-strait people-to-people engagement, promoting exchanges in fields from culture to economics as part of its broader push for cross-strait integration. The main forum takes place on Saturday, when Wang Huning – Beijing’s top official on Taiwan affairs and the Communist Party’s fourth-ranking official – is expected to speak. Held in Xiamen in southeastern Fujian province, the event this year comes amid tightened restrictions by Taiwan’s ruling DPP, which leans towards independence. For the first time, the DPP has explicitly banned Taiwan’s municipal and county government officials from taking part, upgrading previous advisories into an outright prohibition and expanding on an existing ban on more senior officials from the self-ruled island. Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary.