A Chinese mainland spokesperson has called out Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for creating 'unnecessary obstacles' in cross-strait travel, sparking fresh debates about regional connectivity. 🌍✈️
Who's Blocking the Bridges?
Chen Binhua of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office stated Friday that the DPP has 'consistently ignored appeals' to lift post-COVID travel bans imposed in 2020. These include blocking mainland residents from visiting Taiwan and halting group tours to the mainland—a move Taiwan's tourism industry claims has cost billions in lost revenue. 💸
Tourism Freeze vs. Partial Thaw
While the DPP recently upgraded travel alerts for residents visiting the mainland, the Chinese mainland has taken steps to ease restrictions. Earlier this year, Fujian Province resumed travel to Kinmen and Mazu islands, with nearly 60,000 permit applications processed by October. 📈
Chen emphasized that further expansion of cross-strait travel depends on the DPP 'stopping political interference'. 🎙️
