Key facts
- Beijing is hosting the annual Straits Forum in Xiamen, Fujian province.
- The forum is a key platform for Beijing's cross-strait integration efforts.
- Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has banned local government officials from attending.
- Wang Huning, Beijing's top official on Taiwan affairs, is scheduled to speak.
Beijing is hosting the 18th annual Straits Forum in Xiamen, Fujian province, a key platform for promoting cross-strait integration through cultural and economic exchanges. The event comes as Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has tightened restrictions, explicitly banning municipal and county government officials from participating for the first time. This prohibition expands on existing bans for more senior officials. Wang Huning, Beijing's top official on Taiwan affairs, is expected to address the forum. Beijing views Taiwan as a part of China that must be reunified, by force if necessary.