Fujian province has become a test bed for mainland China’s push for economic, social and political integration with Taiwan. In this story – the first in a four-part on-the-ground series – Amber Wang details the 15-year integration drive in Fujian’s Pingtan county, which appears to be losing steam as the mainland economy falters, military tensions grow and Beijing struggles to turn cross-strait business ties into political loyalty.
For Allen Xue, a Taiwanese woman, the allure of moving just across the Taiwan Strait to the coastal county of Pingtan on the mainland was hard to resist.
Earlier this year, she settled into a compound specifically tailored for Taiwanese and bought it at a price far below market value.
Many decades ago, Pingtan, located just 110km (68 miles) from Taiwan in Fujian province, was a collection of underdeveloped fishing towns that served as a base for mainland Chinese attempting to illegally enter Taiwan.
Much has changed since then. Around 15 years ago, the county became a test site for economic, social and political integration with Taiwan. Business and infrastructure boomed as Beijing invested billions into building links across the strait.
However, the integration drive seems to be losing steam after its initial progress as the mainland’s economy stumbles and cross-strait tensions grow, according to Taiwanese residents of Fujian and Beijing policy advisers interviewed by the South China Morning Post.
While some Taiwanese businesses have taken advantage of the scheme, the plan has not succeeded in fostering deep cross-strait economic ties or political loyalty towards Beijing.