TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) said Wednesday (Oct. 26) it welcomed visits by Taiwan’s major business associations.

During last week’s congress, the CCP added language to its party constitution vowing to “resolutely oppose and suppress Taiwan independence,” seen as another escalation in Beijing’s aggressive stance toward Taiwan.

At the first regular TAO news conference following the 20th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress, Spokesman Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光) said he welcomed delegations from all main Taiwan business groups to deepen cooperation and promote joint development, UDN reported.

He also named a series of cross-strait business seminars and fairs scheduled in Changsha, Jinan, Jiangsu Province, and other regions of China to discuss topics including digitization, low carbon emissions, and electric vehicles.

Observers predicted that once the CCP congress concluded, China would ramp up its efforts to promote “unification” with Taiwan by turning more aggressive while attempting to divide public opinion inside the democratic country.