The Chinese mainland is calling on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities to lift travel restrictions across the Taiwan Strait, emphasizing the importance of youth exchanges and people-to-people connections.
At a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, welcomed more young people from Taiwan to visit the Chinese mainland. She highlighted an upcoming visit by faculty and students from seven mainland universities, including Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Fudan University, invited by the Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation.
\"This exchange is a reciprocal visit following former Kuomintang Chairman Ma Ying-jeou's trip, where he led students from Taiwan to visit mainland universities,\" Zhu noted.
In addition to fostering youth exchanges, the recent resumption of travel for residents of Fujian Province to Kinmen and Matsu islands was spotlighted. As of October 31, mainland immigration authorities processed 58,735 travel permit applications for these islands, reflecting strong enthusiasm among mainland residents.
Zhu emphasized that the mainland would continue to facilitate group tourism to Taiwan as part of efforts to enhance cross-strait relations. \"We hope the DPP authorities will heed the voices of the public and remove restrictions on cross-strait exchanges at an early date,\" she urged.
It's clear that both sides of the strait are eager for increased interaction, especially among the youth. Let's hope these bridges continue to be built! 🌉
Reference(s):
Mainland urges DPP to lift cross-Straits travel restrictions
cgtn.com
