As China drafts its 15th five-year plan – the next entry in a line of expansive blueprints that have set the tone for the country’s development over more than seven decades – we examine the implications and opportunities for industrial collaboration across the Taiwan Strait.
Last month on the outskirts of Beijing, a delegation of Taiwanese executives inspected gleaming new electric vehicles at a leading mainland Chinese manufacturer as they explored potential collaborations.
The delegation included representatives from major companies such as Delta Electronics, which supplies components to companies such as Apple and Tesla, as well as smaller businesses such as Voyager Technology, which supplies electric car manufacturers.
Taiwanese firms have been investing in mainland China for decades, but the recent trip highlights one of the ways that the relationship has evolved, with many companies from the island now supplying specialised components and parts to leading mainland firms across a range of hi-tech sectors, including the EV industry.
Now, as Beijing starts finalising its latest five-year plan – which is expected to focus on innovation and the mainland’s domestic market – Taiwanese firms are positioning themselves to take advantage of whatever opportunities it presents.
Analysts say the plan, which will run from 2026 to 2030, will seek to deepen economic integration between the mainland and Taiwan, with a focus on sectors such as electric vehicles and artificial intelligence (AI).
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