MKS sports spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council (Photo: Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council)" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2024/2024-04-10/ca3c5d8f-51c3-4413-89b3-08d54c86572e.jpeg" />

Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council (Photo: Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council)

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, driven by their pursuit of "Taiwan independence" and political self-interest, turn a deaf ear to the mainstream public opinion and industry voices in Taiwan region. They ignore the damage done to the interests of grassroots residents and businesses in the island, repeatedly using various untenable excuses to obstruct and restrict cross-Straits tourism and exchanges in various fields, creating barriers and obstacles, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Wednesday.

Zhu made the remarks after Taiwan's "mainland affairs council" said that matters related to mainland tourists visiting Taiwan should first be discussed by the Taiwan Strait Tourism Association and the mainland-based Association for Tourism Exchange Across the Taiwan Straits, and that local tourism operators in Taiwan are concerned that mainland tour groups may face obstacles again when traveling to Taiwan.

After the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced the resumption of group tours to Taiwan island for residents of Fujian and Shanghai, a tour group composed of tourism operators from Fujian and Shanghai quickly submitted a request to relevant parties in Taiwan, Zhu said. This demonstrates our positive attitude and commitment to restoring mainland residents' tourism to Taiwan island, which has been generally welcomed by Taiwan's tourism industry and the public, the spokesperson said.

However, the negative response and indirect obstruction from the DPP authorities have doused their enthusiasm, Zhu said.

The DPP authorities' repeated obstruction of cross-Straits tourism and exchanges has led to widespread disappointment and strong indignation within the industry in Taiwan, the spokesperson noted.

According to Taiwan-based media outlet China Times on Tuesday, Wu Ying-liang, chairman of Travel Agent Association, said that the tourism industry in the island is most concerned about cross-Straits tourism and hopes that the DPP authorities will speed up their efforts to lift restrictions as soon as possible.

If there are 4 million mainland tourists visiting Taiwan each year, it could contribute at least 200 billion new Taiwan dollars in output value to Taiwan, and various private industries would have the opportunity to benefit, according to Wu.

Ringo Lee, chairman of the Taipei-based High-Quality of Travel Association, pointed out that the failure of mainland tourist groups visiting Taiwan this time has made industry operators feel that they have lost a significant opportunity, adding that the DPP authorities have further limited their own options.

If the DPP authorities do not change their course and continue to act out of self-interest, they will inevitably lose public support and suffer the consequences of their actions, Zhu noted.

Sheng Jiuyuan, director of the Center for Taiwan Studies at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the tourism industry in Taiwan has long been filled with expectations for cross-Straits tourism. The criticism from within the island regarding the DPP authorities' restrictions further reflects the unpopularity of such limitations among the people.

Zhu also responded to the DPP authorities' continuous refusal to issue entry permits to groups from Shanghai during the 2025 Taipei Lantern Festival, held from February 2 to 16. 

Zhu said the political maneuvering of the DPP authorities has no bottom line, it undermines the peaceful atmosphere in which compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits celebrate the Chinese New Year, runs counter to their shared desire for frequent exchanges, disrupts the development of cross-Straits relations and the normal order of cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation, it is against the public's will and should be condemned.

"In light of the strong willingness of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits to engage in cross-Straits tourism and exchange, the DPP authorities should heed public sentiment and the concerns of Taiwan's tourism industry," Sheng said.