Zhang Han, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, addresses a press conference in Beijing, on January 28, 2026. Photo: State Council Taiwan Affairs Office

Peaceful reunification would create enormous opportunities for Taiwan's socioeconomic development, and with the strong backing of the motherland, every aspect of Taiwan region including infrastructure construction would improve significantly, Zhang Han, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, told a press conference on Wednesday.

Zhang was responding to a question about heated discussion taking place on the island of Taiwan regarding news that the Chinese mainland's high-speed railway operating mileage had exceeded 50,000 kilometers. 

Zhang took the question on Wednesday regarding some opinions saying that Taiwan region has long suffered from energy shortages and aging infrastructure, and if mainland capital and technology were introduced, challenges such as tunneling through the central mountain range and improving transportation in the Hualien and Taitung areas would no longer be issues. 

Some netizens expressed hopes that one day, they could ride high-speed trains across the Taiwan Straits to travel between the two sides. 

According to the spokesperson, the mainland's high-speed rail construction has attracted worldwide attention. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), more than 12,000 kilometers of high-speed rail were built and put into operation, bringing 128 counties into the high-speed rail era. 

The current total high-speed railway operating mileage stands at 50,400 kilometers, covering 97 percent of cities with urban populations of more than 500,000. This has created the world's largest and most modern high-speed rail network. The fast-moving high-speed trains shrink distances, expand dreams, and make faraway places no longer distant, said Zhang. 

With the strong backing of the motherland, every aspect of Taiwan region including infrastructure construction would improve significantly. Taiwan compatriots would join hands with mainland compatriots to share the dignity and glory of our great nation, share the fruits of Chinese modernization, and usher in a bright future of prosperity and stability, the spokesperson said. 


Global Times