TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former Kuomintang (KMT) presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) met with the newly appointed director of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) Taiwan Affairs Office in Xiamen, China, on Jan. 28.

Hung, often considered a “deep blue” member of the KMT for her pro-unification views, met with Chinese Director Song Tao (宋濤,) who claimed the CCP would uphold the concept of “one family on both sides of the strait.” Hung claimed on her Facebook page her visit was “paying tribute to Taiwanese businessmen in Xiamen” and that with the passing of the pandemic, it was time to repair the “deadlock” between Taiwan and China.

Hung blamed the DPP for “hindering cross-strait exchanges and ignoring the rights and interests of Taiwanese businesspeople.” She said Taiwanese businesspeople in Xiamen had complained to her about a “castration” of the “mini-three links,” direct trade, postal and transport services established in 2001 between Kinmen and Matsu in Taiwan, and Xiamen, Mawei, and Quanzhou in China's Fujian Province.

The mini-three links were suspended in February 2020 by the Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council in response to the growing COVID-19 outbreak, but were partially reopened on Jan. 7.

Kinmen County Magistrate Chen Fu-hai (陳福海) and legislator for Kinmen County Chen Yu-jen (陳玉珍) are also expected to meet with Song later today, according to Ettoday.