Mainland Affairs Council Says Taiwan's Economic Dependence on China Decreased; Taiwan Affairs Office Insists Trade Remains Brisk

(CNA) Shanghai, July 2 -- The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) recently stated, on the 16th anniversary of the signing of the ECFA, that Taiwan's economic dependence on mainland China is currently at its lowest point in history, and the economic and trade structure across the strait has changed. China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) today insisted that bilateral trade will exceed US$300 billion in 2025, an annual increase of 7.3%, and that economic and trade exchanges across the strait are "continuously brisk."

The MAC's latest assessment report indicated that Taiwan's economic dependence on mainland China is at its lowest point in history. In response, TAO spokesperson Zhu Fenglian stated at a regular press conference today that bilateral trade from January to May this year was US$150.837 billion, a year-on-year increase of 22%. Of this, mainland China's exports to Taiwan were US$41.874 billion, up 30.6% year-on-year; and imports from Taiwan were US$108.963 billion, up 19.1% year-on-year. "These figures show that the economic ties across the strait have not weakened, but strengthened."

Furthermore, the MAC pointed out that Taiwan's export proportion to mainland China has decreased, while its GDP growth rate has exceeded 8%. When asked by reporters for a response, Zhu Fenglian stated:

Zhu Fenglian insisted that "Taiwan's economy cannot de-sinicize" and pointed out that bilateral trade will reach US$314.33 billion in 2025, maintaining "high growth of 7.3%" amidst a global trade slowdown. Additionally, in the same year, mainland China established 8,132 new Taiwan-funded enterprises, "indicating that cross-strait industrial cooperation is increasingly close and economic and trade exchanges remain brisk."

June 29th marked the 16th anniversary of the signing of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). The MAC issued a press release that day stating that Taiwan's export proportion to mainland China (including Hong Kong) has gradually decreased year by year, from 43.9% in 2020 to 26.6% in 2025. The proportion of Taiwanese businesses' investment in the mainland to their overall outward investment has also declined from a peak of 83.8% in 2010 to 3.8% in 2025 and 0.9% in the first five months of 2026.

The MAC indicated that the aforementioned data shows that in recent years, influenced by changes in the international geopolitical landscape, US-China strategic developments, mainland China's economic downturn and deteriorating investment environment, and the CCP's economic coercion against Taiwan, cross-strait economic and trade relations have undergone structural changes.

Concurrently, the MAC mentioned that the export value of ECFA early harvest products to the mainland in 2025 has fallen to US$13.1 billion, accounting for 13.1% of Taiwan's total exports to the mainland, down from 26.3% in 2016, marking a new low since the ECFA took effect.

The MAC stated that Taiwan's economic growth rate in 2025 exceeded 8%, with per capita GDP reaching US$39,000, a new high in recent years. This demonstrates that amidst rapid changes in the international political and economic landscape and the restructuring of global supply chains, Taiwan's economy continues to show strong growth momentum. (Editor: Chiu Kuo-chiang) 1150702

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