China urged to lift restrictions on travel to Taiwan

A lawmaker representing the Taiwan-controlled islands stated on Wednesday that China can demonstrate goodwill in the long-stalled resumption of tourism-oriented travel across the Taiwan Strait by first permitting Chinese tourists to visit the Kinmen Islands for a significant holiday in early October.

Legislator Chen Yu-jen stated that her team will discuss cross-strait tourism and other Kinmen-related issues with Song Tao, director of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, in Beijing on Thursday.

Following the first post-COVID-19 Chinese tour group to visit the Taiwan-controlled Matsu Islands in early August, allowing similar visits to Kinmen would be another significant step toward the resumption of Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan and Taiwanese group tourist travel to China, according to an opposition Kuomintang legislator.

Legislator Chen Yu-jen (left) and Legislator Chuang Jui-hsiung at the Legislative Yuan on Wednesday Aug. 21, 2024

Allowing Chinese tourists to visit Kinmen during China’s Oct. 1 “Golden Week” holiday would create positive interactions in rebuilding relations between Taiwan and China, she added.

Chen said the delegation will also bring up during Thursday’s meeting with Song a suggestion by the Mainland Affairs Council that if China lists Taiwan as a designation Chinese tourists can visit, Taiwan will allow local travel agencies to organize group tours to China.

Other topics listed in the statement include the establishment of a joint trading platform for agricultural and fishery products in waters around Kinmen and China’s Xiamen, located less than 10 kilometers away, and allowing Kinmen-based financial institutes to set up operations in Xiamen.

The delegation, led by Kinmen County Council Speaker Hung Yun-tien, arrived in Beijing Wednesday evening.

Its members for the four-day visit include several Kinmen County councilors, Travel Quality Assurance Association executive Chen Yi-hsuan , and officials of tourism promotion groups in Kinmen, according to Chen.

Travel links between Taiwan and China have been largely frozen for the past three years, due mainly to the COVID-19 pandemic.

China suspended independent travel to Taiwan on August 1, 2019, citing the deterioration of cross-strait relations. It then banned group travel to Taiwan in 2020.

Taiwan briefly eased its ban on group trips to China on March 1 as border constraints were removed following the easing of the COVID-19 outbreak. The prohibition was promptly reinstated, with the exception of travel planned before June 1.

On April 28, Beijing announced a relaxation of travel restrictions that will take effect awaiting the return of direct ferry traffic between Matsu and Pingtan County, Fujian.