Objective/Meaning The integrated development of rural areas across the Taiwan Strait is a crucial field for deepening cross-strait integration.In this process,the government plays a core role,yet its operational mechanism urgently requires systematic research from the perspective of modern governance theory.

Methods/Procedures This paper adopts Governance Network Theory as its analytical framework and conducts an analysis using Sanming City,Fujian Province—the nation’s first“Cross-Strait Rural Integration Development Pilot Zone”—as a case study.

Results/Conclusions The research finds that within the governance network of integrated development,the government transcends the role of a traditional manager to embody a tripartite role as a “network builder, manager, and facilitator.” Although the practices in Sanming have achieved notable success,they still face systemic obstacles,including network coordination failure,network management ineffectiveness,and network participation imbalance.To overcome these challenges,it is imperative to reconstruct a high-level integrated governance mechanism,optimize a precise empowerment-oriented service mechanism,and build an institutionalized multi-stakeholder co-governance mechanism.These measures will systematically enhance the government’s governance effectiveness,providing both theoretical reference and practical pathways for cross-strait rural integration.