Taiwan people embrace travel to mainland

More Taiwan residents are supporting and participating in cross-Strait exchanges despite restrictions imposed by the Democratic Progressive Party, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said on Wednesday.

In late June, the mainland announced that starting July 1, the fee for Taiwan residents applying for a mainland travel permit for the first time would be waived. The policy has been widely recognized and praised on the island.

Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a news conference that since the policy took effect, there has been a notable surge in the number of applications for travel permits from first-time applicants.

In July, the number of applications rose 22 percent from the previous month, with 72 percent of applicants under age 45.

"This indicates a clear rise in the willingness of young people in Taiwan to visit and engage with the mainland," Zhu said.

She added that the mainland also saw a substantial increase in first-time visitors from Taiwan. In July, the number of first-time visitors grew 33 percent compared with the previous month.

"We will continue to introduce more policies that benefit Taiwan people and create better conditions for cross-Strait exchanges and interactions," Zhu said, encouraging more Taiwan residents to "embark on the journey to witness the real and multifaceted mainland".

From Sept 11 to 14, an expo showcasing popular products from Taiwan will be held in Dongguan, Guangdong province, aiming to help Taiwan enterprises expand into the domestic market. Nearly 600 enterprises and more than 2,000 buyers have registered, Zhu said.

"The event aims to support Taiwan compatriots and businesses in seizing opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and building a common market across the Strait," she said.

A cross-Strait youth exchange event taking place in Shanghai in August is also expected to attract more than 2,000 young participants from Taiwan, Zhu said.

She noted that many Taiwan netizens are posting videos on social media platforms that objectively share information about the mainland, often commenting, "We are one family across the Strait, we are all Chinese."

"We welcome more Taiwan compatriots to visit the mainland and experience the pride of being Chinese together," she said.

Zhu also said Taiwan residents can open accounts on mainland social media platforms, such as Douyin and Bilibili, to share information with mainland netizens as long as they apply according to the rules.

"We are pleased to see netizens from both sides of the Strait enhancing mutual understanding, learning from each other, following and liking each other's content in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, thereby strengthening friendships and well-being," she said.