Mainland app assists Taiwan residents

Since its official launch in 2017 in Pingtan, Fujian province, a mobile app called Tailutong has provided great convenience and benefits to Taiwan people in Fujian, the so-called first home for compatriots and businesses from the island.

Initiated by a private cloud service enterprise based in Fujian, the app is the first digital platform designed to aid Taiwan compatriots on the Chinese mainland. Since its launch, it has expanded from offering public services such as information about the Fujian government, document processing and financial assistance to more lifestyle-oriented services such as the ability to book travel between the mainland and Taiwan, and arrange package deliveries across the Taiwan Strait.

On Feb 20, the third working day after the Spring Festival holiday, Gao Yanhong in Taiwan received a call from Lin Lanfang, the customer service manager of the app.

"Lin told me that the business license I applied for online before the Spring Festival had been processed," Gao said. "I was really surprised by their efficient service."

With the resumption of transportation services between Fujian and Taiwan early last year, Gao decided to open a cross-Strait trading company in Pingtan, hoping to expand her business based on the beneficial policies the city offers.

"In the past, when Taiwan people applied for business licenses on the mainland, they had to provide various supporting documents on site," she said. "Not long ago, a friend recommended the Tailutong app to me. After submitting an application and paying a guarantee deposit, the license request can be submitted in a few seconds, so people can trust the app to assist in applying for a business license on the mainland. It's really convenient."

According to Lin, the app receives hundreds of service orders from Taiwan compatriots every day, the most being applications to various government departments for things such as business licenses, travel permits and professional qualification certificates.

"After receiving the orders, the app's customer service staff will assist them in collecting the required materials and then submit the applications online according to the requirements of different departments," Lin said. "For departments that have not yet launched online services, the customer service staff will personally coordinate with them."

The app can now be downloaded from the mobile app market in Taiwan and has become a resource for Taiwan residents who want to learn more about the mainland.

So far, the app has accumulated over 2.3 million downloads and has directly served over 400,000 Taiwan compatriots.

The app also focuses on providing more personalized and refined services to meet the daily and employment needs of Taiwan people.

In July 2022, the app launched express delivery services from the mainland to Taiwan, and in March 2023, it began offering such services from Taiwan to the mainland.

"At present, we have reached cooperation agreements with multiple express delivery companies in Taiwan and on the mainland, with over 30,000 express service points capable of real-time order receiving," said Liu Xiangdong, who heads Tailutong. "Based on the needs of Taiwan compatriots, we have launched various internet services through resource integration, such as booking joint ferry and flight tickets.

"We also provide free shuttle services during their trip, helping them save time and money, and eliminate the trouble of queuing at ticket windows," he added.

Users can pay for the tickets in both renminbi and new Taiwan dollars.

As of now, over 10,000 Taiwan people have purchased the combo tickets via the app, and over 100,000 parcels have been sent to customers on both sides of the Strait.

With the rapid development of digital technology, there are increasingly more digital service platforms like Tailutong that cater to Taiwan compatriots.

For instance, the Minzhengtong app and the eFuzhou app have both launched a "Taiwan Compatriot Service Zone", providing services such as policy interpretations, qualification approvals and the ability to apply for documents.

Various industries have also introduced many professional digital products. For example, the High People's Court of Fujian established the first cross-Strait judicial service network and mobile app on the mainland.

In addition, Xiamen Bank has launched the first online automated approval credit consumer loan product exclusively for Taiwan compatriots.

Various online service platforms and WeChat public accounts have also launched channels for Taiwan youth to apply for entrepreneurship and employment subsidies.