Taiwan entrepreneurs said a regulation promoting compatibility and mutual recognition of standards across the Taiwan Strait, effective on Jan 1, will further facilitate the development of Taiwan businesses in the Chinese mainland and foster deeper industrial integration across the Strait.

The regulation, the first of its kind, was passed by the legislative authority of Fujian province in November. It encourages joint topic selection, collaborative research and formulation, comparison and application of standards among relevant sectors on both sides of the Strait.

It clarifies pathways for adopting advanced standards from Taiwan in Fujian, applying Fujian's advanced standards in Taiwan, and jointly developing standards in emerging fields. The regulation also explicitly supports the participation of experts from Taiwan in the construction of the mainland's standards system.

Huang Shuimu, director of the Fujian Provincial Administration for Market Management, said the move will facilitate mutual recognition of advantageous standards from both sides, deepen industrial integration, remove barriers, promote resource sharing and enhance market competitiveness.

Wu Chia-ying, executive vice-president of the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland, said that in the past, the highest hidden cost for Taiwan firms entering the mainland market stemmed from "standard differences", rather than market access or capital issues.

"A product certified in Taiwan often had to undergo costly retesting and re-filing on the mainland,"Wu said.

The new regulation helps promote standards connectivity across the Strait and reduces operating costs for Taiwan firms, Wu said, adding that businesspeople from Taiwan can also participate in standard setting and enjoy equal treatment.

The legislation is based on Fujian's experience and innovative practices in the field in recent years. The province has issued 308 shared standards covering agriculture, services and new energy sectors, according to local authorities.

A service platform for connecting cross-Strait standards was launched in 2023, gathering more than 290,000 pieces of standards-related information. The platform enables precise comparison and serves cross-Strait institutions, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises from Taiwan.

In 2024, universities in Fujian and Taiwan, both with strong marine carbon sink resources, established a cross-Strait blue carbon standard system and completed the first salt marsh blue carbon trade involving 1,926 metric tons.

"It was not just a trade, but a demonstration of joint rule-making," Wu said. Deeper participation by Taiwan firms in carbon accounting and green certification standards in the future will better integrate them into mainland and international markets, he added.

Peng An-yuan, a Taiwan businessman who operates a tea plantation in Fujian producing Oriental Beauty Tea, a well-known Taiwan variety, participated in drafting shared technical regulations for the tea product on both sides of the Strait. The regulation will come into effect in January.

"In the past, due to differences in process terminology and quality grading descriptions, tea from Taiwan often required repeated testing to enter the mainland market,"Peng said.

"In the future, through standards connectivity, high-quality teas from both sides can smoothly enter each other's markets, achieving mutual benefit and win-win outcomes," he said.

Xie Zaichun, deputy director of the Fujian Provincial Administration for Market Management, said the province will promote the application of such standards and work to elevate them on a national and even international level, creating a model that can be replicated nationwide.

Fujian, separated from Taiwan by a narrow stretch of water, has stepped up legislation related to the island. The province leads the mainland with 15 effective local regulations promoting comprehensive cross-Strait exchange and cooperation.