Workers carry out construction of the Xiamen section of the Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge on March 29, 2026. Photo: IC

As the Chinese mainland pushes forward the construction of the Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge, with the Xiamen section on track to complete its main offshore structure by the end of 2026, the Kinmen side remains largely untouched, underscoring a widening gap in progress between the two ends of the project, Taiwan regional media reported on Thursday. 

The bridge was also mentioned in the latest 10 measures unveiled to deepen cross-Straits integration and exchanges with the island. While many Kinmen residents have called for the project to proceed, saying that it would improve transport convenience and boost tourism, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities on the Taiwan island continued to highlight so-called security risks, hampering progress on the Kinmen side.

Taiwan regional media outlet United Daily News reported on Thursday that the Kinmen County Council had visited the planned Kinmen-side site of the Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge near Wulong Mountain in Jinsha township to assess the terrain, possible connection points and the area's development potential.

The report cited Hung Yun-tien, speaker of the Kinmen County Council, as saying that the proposed bridge would have a significant bearing on Kinmen's long-term development, with potential benefits for transport, industrial growth and people's livelihoods. He said that before any cross-Straits consensus is reached, local authorities should first coordinate internal views and build broader public consensus, laying the groundwork for future communication. Meanwhile, County Councilor Tung Sen-pao said the bridge issue cannot be resolved simply because one side wants to build it. 

"This is not a technical issue or a budget issue, but a cross-Straits political issue," he said.

The Xiamen section of the project, which is about 19.6 kilometers in length, runs from Xiamen island to Xiang'an International Airport and includes a reserved interface for a future extension to Kinmen, according to UDN.

A 2023 policy document issued by the State Council called for exploring joint infrastructure development between Xiamen and Kinmen and speeding up efforts toward electricity links, gas supply and a bridge connection. Construction of the Xiamen section of the Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge began in October 2023, while the planned 4.5-kilometer-long Dadan Island-to-Kinmen section is designed as a six-lane expressway with a speed limit of 100 kilometers per hour, according to a release from the website of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. 

Also, among the 10 policy measures unveiled on Sunday by the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee following KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun's mainland visit, authorities said they would promote water, electricity and gas links between Fujian's coastal areas and Kinmen and Matsu, and advance sea-crossing bridge projects when conditions permit, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

Constructing the bridge has long been a common call and urgent desire shared by residents in Kinmen. For example, a Kinmen Daily editorial published in November 2025 said that for many Kinmen residents, crossing the sea to Xiamen for study, work, investment and property purchases has become a normal part of daily life. It added that many people in Fujian on the mainland have ancestral roots in Kinmen, while many Kinmen compatriots from Taiwan live and build their careers on the mainland. 

"Their family ties have long stretched across the Straits. For them, the Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge would offer an easier road home," it said.

However, the DPP authorities have continued to hype so-called security risks and claimed there is no plan for the project. Along with the recent package of measures to enhance connectivity with Kinmen, including proposals for shared transportation links, they have portrayed the project as part of the mainland's united front efforts. 

Taiwan regional media FTV News cited Chiu Chui-cheng, head of Taiwan's "mainland affairs council," as saying that these issues concern "national security" and public well-being, and must therefore be studied and handled by the authorities rather than bypassing the government.

DPP authorities should face up to the interests and demands of Kinmen residents, stop political calculation, and support the early completion and operation of the Xiamen-Kinmen bridge, Peng Qing'en, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, told a press conference in November, 2025. 

Taiwan regional lawmaker Chen Yu-jen said in an exclusive interview with CCTV  in March that proposals for water, electricity, gas and transport links should be viewed as livelihood issues, given that Kinmen's proximity to the mainland makes such cooperation a positive step for economic and social development. She criticized the DPP authorities for seeking to cut Taiwan off from the mainland, stoking public fear and reducing cross-Straits exchanges in order to reinforce their "resist China, protect Taiwan" narrative.

A Kinmen resident surnamed Yu told the Global Times that the bridge project would make life more convenient for local residents by improving land connectivity. She also expressed expectations for more mainland tourists to support the local tourism industry. She said the Taiwan authorities should take residents' livelihoods into consideration and pursue policies that expand, rather than restrict, cross-Straits exchanges.

Lin Wenhao, who grew up in Kaohsiung, studied in Kinmen and now works in Fujian on rural revitalization projects, witnessed the west main tower of the Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge completed on December 7, 2025.

"Transport was always one of the issues we talked about most when I was studying in Kinmen," Lin told the Global Times. Now traveling frequently between Kinmen and Xiamen for work and business, he said his biggest concern is the risk of transport disruptions or island closures.

"For the Taiwan authorities, the issue is about national security and strategic risk. But for Kinmen, it is about livelihoods, development and everyday needs," he said.

Lin added that Kinmen, Xiamen and Quanzhou are naturally positioned for deeper integration with the mainland, and that real connectivity would also bring a stronger boost to Kinmen's long-term development.