25 years of 'mini three links' and the road ahead

Editor's note: Xu Ying, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a Beijing-based international affairs commentator. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN. 

At the Wutong Passenger Terminal in China's "garden city" Xiamen in southeastern Fujian Province, a ferry eases away from the dock. In less than half an hour, it will reach Shuitou Port on the island of Kinmen in China's Taiwan region, a vital transportation link with the Chinese mainland. For many, this is a daily commute. Yet behind this ordinary scene lies an extraordinary history – one that speaks not only to transport links, but to memory, emotion, and the unfinished work of national reunification.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the "mini three links" – direct two-way postal, trade and transport links between the mainland the Taiwan region. It began on January 2, 2001, with 179 people in Kinmen boarding two vessels, theTaiwuandWujiang, ending 52 years of non-direct cross-Straits shipping.

Since then, more than 26 million passenger trips have been made through these routes. In 2025 alone, over 1.43 million Taiwan compatriots traveled via the "mini three links" – an all-time high.

Numbers matter. But the true significance of the "mini three links" goes beyond statistics.

Unseverable blood ties

For decades after 1949, the Taiwan Straits was less a body of water than a psychological and political chasm. Families were separated. Travel was indirect and exhausting. A journey from Kinmen to Xiamen – places visible to each other on a clear day – could take four or five days via Hong Kong or Macao.

The turning point came in 1979, when the Chinese mainland issued the "Message to Compatriots in Taiwan," calling for the realization of direct postal, transport, and trade links. In the early 1990s, Fujian proposed a pragmatic breakthrough: "Kinmen–Xiamen first, Mazu–Fuzhou next." This was not grand geopolitics, but problem-solving rooted in geography, kinship, and common sense.

When the first ferries finally crossed in 2001, the scenes at the docks – relatives embracing in tears, elders touching the soil of their ancestral land – became some of the most moving images in the history of cross-Straits relations, a reminder that no political narrative can erase lived connections.

Resilience through setbacks

The 25-year journey has not been smooth. Policy adjustments, political fluctuations, and most notably, the near three-year suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic tested its resilience. In February 2020, passenger services were halted unilaterally by the Taiwan authorities under the pretext of epidemic control. Yet even during those years, public calls for their restoration never ceased.

Why? Because the "mini three links" had already become part of daily life. They were the fastest, cheapest, and most humane channel for cross-Straits exchange. When services gradually resumed from 2023 onward, pent-up demand translated quickly into renewed flows of people, goods, and goodwill.

This resilience points to a deeper truth: Exchanges driven by people's real needs cannot be blocked by political obstruction.

From convenience to integration

Over time, the "mini three links" have evolved from a cautious experiment into a mature, efficient network. Four stable routes now form a "golden corridor" across the Straits.

Policy facilitation has kept pace. The introduction of mainland travel permits for Taiwan residents in 2015 made spontaneous travel possible. More recently, Fujian's integration policies have pushed boundaries further.

In 2025, the Wutong terminal launched facial-recognition clearance for Taiwan travelers, moving from manual checks to smart, seamless passage. Over 50,000 Taiwan compatriots experienced this "brush-and-go" convenience within weeks.

Such measures send a clear message: Taiwan compatriots are not "foreign visitors," but family members whose mobility should be easy, dignified, and secure.

A lifeline in times of need

Beyond commerce and tourism, the "mini three links" have repeatedly proven their humanitarian value. Over the past 25 years, hundreds of emergency medical transfers have been completed through these routes. From critically ill newborns to heart attack patients, the short sea crossing has saved lives.

This is integration at its most concrete level – not slogans, but oxygen tanks, ambulances, and green channels that operate when minutes matter. It is difficult to reconcile such realities with claims that cross-Straits ties are inherently "dangerous" or "hostile."

Toward a shared living circle

Today, Kinmen and Xiamen are moving steadily toward a "same-city life circle." Public service integration, infrastructure connectivity, and the advancing Xiamen–Kinmen Bridge are reshaping how people imagine distance and belonging. Proposals for shared energy, shared infrastructure, and even the vision of a "twin city" echo a simple historical fact: These places were never strangers.

As the mainland prepares its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), voices from Kinmen have expressed a sincere hope to be included – not as a political symbol, but as a participant in shared development. This is not about erasing differences overnight, but about expanding common ground step by step.

The "mini three links" teach us something profound: Integration does not begin with declarations; it begins with ferries that run on time, with policies that reduce friction, and with trust built through repetition.

For Taiwan compatriots, the question is no longer whether integration is possible – it is already happening. The more meaningful question is how to shape it proactively, pragmatically, and peacefully.

For the broader readership, the lesson is equally clear. Cross-Straits relations are not an abstract chessboard. They are lived every day by millions of ordinary people whose choices, movements, and interactions quietly push history forward.

Twenty-five years ago, a single crossing broke decades of separation. Today, the sea between Xiamen and Kinmen feels narrower than ever. Perhaps the most important bridge now is not one of steel or concrete, but of confidence – the confidence to think beyond fear, to act beyond hesitation, and to recognize that on both shores of the Straits, the future is something we build together.

As a message on the Wutong terminal's "shared hearts" wall reads, in many different handwritings but with the same meaning:There is no "you" and "me" – only "we."

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Follow @thouse_opinions on X, formerly Twitter, to discover the latest commentaries in the CGTN Opinion Section.)