Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait

The Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) is a non-governmental organization established by China to manage and facilitate unofficial interactions and negotiations with Taiwan. Since China and Taiwan have complex political and diplomatic tensions, ARATS functions as a contact point for economic, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges, helping to address issues without formal diplomatic relations. It operates alongside Taiwan’s counterpart, the Strait Exchange Foundation. Although not an official government body, ARATS plays a key role in maintaining communication and managing cross-strait relations in areas like trade and travel.