This aerial photo taken in Xiamen, Fujian Province on June 5, 2023 shows the view of Kinmen county, Taiwan island. Photo: VCG

The first Taiwan compatriot settled down in East China’s Fujian Province on Monday morning as 10 new optimized exit-entry services rolled out by China’s National Immigration Administration to encourage Taiwan compatriots to settle down and add convenience to their life and career development in Fujian took effect on January 1, 2024 to promote cross-Straits integrated development and the process of peaceful reunification. 

The Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council jointly issued a document to make Fujian a demonstration zone for the integrated development across the Taiwan Straits in September. In order to implement the plan, China’s National Immigration Administration rolled out 10 new entry-exit policies on November 6 to make it more convenient for Taiwan compatriots to live and develop their career in Fujian. The policies are officially enacted starting January 1, 2024. 

Around 9 am on Monday, a postdoctoral researcher Chang Li-chi working at Huaqiao University in Xiamen, Fujian, became the first Taiwan resident who settled down in the province when he received the residence permit from the immigration officer at Xiamen Public Security Bureau after the 10 new exit-entry policies were enacted. 

The 10 new entry-exit policies and previous policies introduced have gradually relaxed the requirements for obtaining the travel and residence permits for Taiwan residents to the mainland. These changes have simplified and shortened the procedures, making it more convenient for Taiwan residents to travel to or settle in the mainland, thereby benefiting cross-Strait integrated development, Chang told the Global Times. 

The policies stipulate that the people on Taiwan Island can apply for their household registration with any entry-exit management departments at county-level or above in Fujian as long as they are willing to. The approval of their application will be shortened to 10 workdays from the original 20. 

The policies also provide more options for the people on the island to apply for the Mainland travel permit from online platforms, at the customs and apply for the permits collectively. The time spent on the application for the permit will also be shorted from seven workdays to five. 

In addition, the policies will also make it more convenient for Taiwan residents to use the Mainland travel permit by expanding the scope of online verification services across Fujian for the Taiwan compatriots. The applications of the travel permit will be enlarged to transportation, electronic payment, medical service, hotel accommodation and other government, public and internet services to further add convenience for Taiwan compatriots to study, work and live in Fujian. 

According to Chen Jinlai, a customs officer from the Gaoqi entry-exit border checkpoint in Xiamen, Fujian, Taiwan residents with the five-year travel permit can swiftly go through the customs at eight ports across Fujian. 

“These new policies, especially those related to the residence permits, can help Taiwan compatriots to reconstruct a proper recognition of national and civic identity, which I think is particularly meaningful,” Chang said, explaining that these new policies make him feel like he is also an owner of this piece of land rather than a guest to the mainland, since he had devoted a great deal time and energy to this mainland city and had regarded it as his home. 

According to China’s immigration authority, spouses and relatives of Taiwan residents in Fujian can also apply for permits to visit Taiwan at any entry-exit management department at county-level or above and the permits can be obtained within 20 workdays. 

Chang said that he couldn’t wait to share his life in the mainland city to his friends on the island and encourage more Taiwan compatriots to develop their career on the mainland. He hoped that more policies can be rolled out to bridge the gap between the compatriots from both sides of the Straits. 

“Despite the fact that Taiwan island developed earlier than the mainland, I have found that the mainland has overtaken the island in development in recent years such as in the fields of mobile payment, online shopping, courier services and shared economy, which the island of Taiwan has just started to develop,” Chang said, hoping that the new policies can help Taiwan compatriots to keep up with the pace and share the dividends of the development.