The independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party this year tightened restrictions on the Straits Forum in Fujian province, imposing the first outright ban on local officials attending the event. Senior officials had already been prohibited from attending.

Addressing the event on Saturday, Wang Huning, Beijing’s top Taiwan affairs official, said: “This year’s Straits Forum was held in a grand manner, with many Taiwan compatriots overcoming obstacles to participate enthusiastically.

“It also fully shows that expanding cross-strait exchanges and interactions and enhancing the well-being of compatriots is the will of the people and a general trend.”

The Straits Forum has been running since 2009 and is Beijing’s main platform for cross-strait people-to-people engagement. This year’s version will feature a total of 58 events across Fujian, the mainland province that lies directly opposite Taiwan.

Tensions between the mainland and Taiwan have been running high since William Lai Ching-te took office in May 2024.