TAIPEI (TVBS News) — China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO, 國台辦) announced that 27 mainland residents have traveled to Kinmen (金門) for independent travel Wednesday (Sept. 25), expressing optimism that more mainland tourists would visit Kinmen in the future.
Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮), spokesperson for the TAO, said a tourism inspection group comprising the Xiamen Tourism Association (廈門旅遊協會) and four travel agencies began their journey on Sept. 18 from Xiamen's Wutong Port (五通碼頭). They returned from Kinmen's Shuitou Pier (水頭碼頭) on Sept. 20, laying a solid foundation for mainland residents to travel to Kinmen.
On Sept. 22, the first group of mainland tourists arrived in Kinmen through the "Mini Three Links" (小三通) and received a warm welcome from the Kinmen County Government and local residents. Zhu highlighted that this event marked a new chapter in cross-strait tourism and cooperation.
Zhu hoped mainland tourists would have a positive experience in Kinmen and urged the Taiwan government to ensure smooth tourism exchanges for the well-being of people on both sides. She also mentioned that many mainland residents had applied for travel permits to Matsu, anticipating a surge in tourism during the "National Day" holiday.
Additionally, China announced the cancellation of zero tariffs on 34 Taiwanese agricultural products.
Regarding the Executive Yuan's (行政院) urging of China to negotiate under the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework, Zhu criticized the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) for attempting to internationalize the Taiwan issue through the WTO, accusing them of harboring "Taiwan independence" intentions.
Zhu emphasized that cross-strait negotiations should be based on the "1992 Consensus" (九二共識), not the WTO framework. She also noted that China's previous zero-tariff policy on 34 Taiwanese agricultural products aimed to promote cross-strait trade normalization under the "One Family" (兩岸一家親) concept.
Zhu criticized the DPP government for its "Taiwan independence" stance and provocations, which she claimed hindered cross-strait exchanges and cooperation. She pointed out that Taiwan had unilaterally restricted over 1,000 mainland agricultural products, identifying this as the root cause of the problem.