Taiwan criticizes China's measures as coercive and manipulative. Michelle Lee: "These initiatives affect the island's economy"

The government in Taipei criticized on Sunday the package of measures announced by China to strengthen ties with the island, denouncing them as coercive practices that instrumentalize exchanges and use trade as a tool of political pressure. Michelle Lee, the spokesperson for the Taiwanese government, stated that many of the initiatives included in the plan had been previously implemented by Beijing and later suspended without valid reasons, affecting sectors such as agriculture and fishing. Lee emphasized that these measures, characterized by uncertainty and selective enforcement, are tactics intended to influence the Taiwanese economy and society. The Taiwanese government supports orderly trade between the two sides of the strait but will assess the risks of the announced initiatives to protect the island's economic structure. The statement comes after China announced a package of ten measures to expand economic and cultural exchanges, in the context of rising tensions between the two sides. Since the Democratic Progressive Party took power in 2016, China has suspended official contacts with Taiwan and intensified pressure on the island.