Chen Binhua (left), a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council introduces the newly appointed spokesperson Peng Qing'en to the public at a regular press conference held on October 29, 2025. Photo: cnsphoto

A spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council on Wednesday slammed the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities in Taiwan region for rejecting applications from tourism operators in Shanghai and Fujian to conduct inspection tours within Taiwan region. 

Asked to comment on the DPP authorities' move at a press briefing, Chen Binhua, the spokesperson, said that inspection tours are a routine industry practice before tourism opens, aimed at coordinating accommodation, attractions, and reception procedures, and is a purely informal and business-oriented exchange.

However, the DPP authorities imposed unilateral requirement, directly rejecting the application of the inspection tours, Chen said, adding that "this is a typical example of political manipulation and deliberate obstruction."

In April, authorities on the Chinese mainland put forward a package of 10 policies and measures to boost exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Straits. Among the measures, the mainland will promote the resumption of individual tours for Shanghai and Fujian residents to Taiwan, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

Cross-Straits tourism sectors quickly organized inspection teams to apply for entry to Taiwan island to conduct on-site route assessments and connect with local tourism operators. "This is a goodwill measure taken by the mainland to respond to the common expectations of people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, actively and pragmatically promote people-to-people exchanges across the Straits, and help Taiwan's tourism industry," Chen said. 

The spokesperson further noted that the cross-Straits agreement on mainland residents traveling to Taiwan island was signed between the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) on the basis of the 1992 Consensus. 

The DPP authorities refuse to recognize the 1992 Consensus, and their tourism authority has even made claims about "bilateral consultations," fully exposing their nature and intention of denying the 1992 Consensus, undermining cross-Straits exchanges, and pursuing "Taiwan independence" separatism, Chen said.

Chen emphasized that the DPP authorities' regressive actions, which ignore the difficulties of Taiwan region's tourism industry and the livelihood needs of ordinary residents, deliberately block the recovery of the tourism market and reject mainland tourists for various untenable reasons. These actions sacrifice the vital interests of Taiwan compatriots for political gain, and they are increasingly causing strong indignation among Taiwan region's tourism sector and the public, Chen said.

"It is believed that the vast majority of Taiwan compatriots will see clearly the DPP authorities' malicious intent to obstruct cross-Straits exchanges and resolutely oppose their malicious acts that run counter to public opinion," said the spokesperson.

Global Times