China announces plan to restore Taiwan flight routes amid calls for peace

In a move laden with diplomatic signals, Beijing has announced plans to resume direct passenger flights between mainland China and Taiwan. The announcement follows a high-profile visit by Kuomintang (KMT) leader Cheng Li-wun, who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a rare cross-strait engagement. This marks the first official meeting between leaders of the Communist Party and the KMT in nearly a decade, underscoring efforts to lower tensions that have simmered under Taiwan’s pro-independenc