Taiwan urged to lift mainland product restrictions

As the Chinese mainland's motorcycle brand ZXMOTO went viral in Taiwan, a mainland spokeswoman urged the Democratic Progressive Party authorities on Wednesday to heed public opinion and remove restrictions on mainland products.

Zhang Han, a spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a regular news conference that the mainland has always maintained a positive and open attitude toward cross-Strait economic and trade cooperation.

"It is the DPP authorities that are restricting and obstructing the entry of high-quality mainland products into Taiwan," she said.

As ZXMOTO motorcycles continue to deliver strong performances in professional competitions worldwide, they are attracting growing interest in Taiwan, where motorcycle culture is deeply rooted.

Zhang Xue, founder of ZXMOTO, said in a recent interview with United Daily News that he hopes to open stores in Taiwan next year. In response, the island's economic affairs department said that, under current customs import tariff regulations, complete motorcycles manufactured on the mainland are classified as "mainland goods prohibited from import" and therefore cannot be imported into Taiwan. The list of prohibited goods includes about 2,500 mainland goods, covering automobiles, motorcycles, agricultural products, metals and textiles.

Zhang Han criticized the DPP authorities for clinging to their separatist "Taiwan independence" stance, saying they have intensified discriminatory trade restrictions on the mainland, erected increasing barriers and undermined normal cross-Strait economic and trade exchanges and cooperation. Taiwan's traditional industries and small and medium-sized enterprises have long expressed dissatisfaction with such policies, she added.

She urged the DPP authorities to remove unreasonable restrictions as soon as possible and take concrete steps that serve the interests of the people of Taiwan.

"We are pleased to see Taiwan compatriots using high-quality products from the mainland and sharing in the development achievements of Chinese modernization," she said.

Turning to broader cross-Strait trade, Zhang dismissed claims by the island's authorities that Taiwan has reduced its reliance on the mainland market.

On July 15, Cho Jung-tai, head of the island's executive body, claimed that Taiwan has reduced its past reliance on the "single Chinese market" and shifted its focus toward Europe, the United States and countries covered by its "new southbound policy".

In response, Zhang said trade figures demonstrate that the industrial structures on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are highly complementary and offer broad prospects for cooperation.

According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs, cross-Strait trade reached $185 billion in the first half of 2026. The mainland imported $133.1 billion worth of goods from Taiwan, up 22.5 percent year-on-year, while exports to Taiwan totaled $51.9 billion, up 32.9 percent year-on-year.

She said strengthening cross-Strait economic and trade cooperation and deepening integrated development across the Strait serve the common interests of people and businesses on both sides and are the natural outcome of economic laws and market principles.

Describing cross-Strait cooperation as an unstoppable trend, Zhang criticized the DPP authorities for pursuing "Taiwan independence" by relying on external forces. She accused them of allowing external forces to hollow out Taiwan's competitive industries.

"Such actions are nothing less than harming Taiwan and bringing disaster to the island," she said.

She also referred to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's recent announcement of an additional $100 billion investment in facilities in Arizona, which has fueled concerns in Taiwan that the company is effectively becoming a US company.

Zhang said the DPP authorities' strategy of seeking "Taiwan independence" by relying on the US and "selling out Taiwan by kowtowing to the US" is the primary cause of the damage to Taiwan's economy and the gradual erosion of the island's competitive advantages.

lishangyi@chinadaily.com.cn