A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Friday held the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities responsible for the ongoing obstacles in cross-strait travel, emphasizing that they should bear full responsibility for the current situation.
Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made these remarks in response to accusations from the DPP authorities that the mainland is to blame for travel obstructions across the Taiwan Strait.
“Since 2020, the DPP authorities have banned mainland residents from visiting Taiwan and prohibited local travel agencies from organizing group tours to the mainland, using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse,” Chen noted.
Chen highlighted that despite appeals from the tourism industry and people in Taiwan to lift travel restrictions, the DPP authorities continue to ignore these calls. “They have even upgraded an alert for residents of Taiwan traveling to the mainland,” he said.
He reaffirmed that the mainland is prepared to take active measures to expand residents’ travel to Taiwan, provided the DPP authorities stop obstructing cross-strait exchanges.
Earlier this year, the mainland announced the resumption of Fujian Province residents’ travel to Kinmen and Mazu. As of October 31, mainland immigration authorities had processed 58,735 travel permit applications for visits to the two islands, according to the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office.
The ongoing tensions over travel restrictions highlight the complexities of cross-strait relations, affecting not only political dynamics but also economic and social exchanges between residents on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Reference(s):
DPP authorities responsible for cross-Strait travel obstacles
cgtn.com
