Mainland slams DPP authorities for undermining foundation of individual tourist scheme

Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have undermined the foundation of a mainland tourism scheme's trial run, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said Thursday.

Under the scheme, residents from 47 mainland cities used to be able to visit Taiwan as individual tourists. The scheme was suspended starting from Thursday, according to a notice published on the website of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Mainland tourists at Taiwan. [File photo: IC]

Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks in response to a question about the notice.

The trial run of the scheme was launched in 2011, serving as a positive measure to expand mutual visits and exchanges across the Taiwan Strait in the context of peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, Ma said.

For years, tourists from the mainland have promoted the development of tourism and relevant industries in Taiwan, he said.

However, the DPP authorities kept advocating "Taiwan independence," producing hostility toward the mainland and provoking confrontation between the two sides of the Strait, Ma said.

The people on both sides of the Strait hope that relations can get back on the right track of peaceful growth at an early date, so that mainland residents' travel to Taiwan can resume normal and healthy growth soon, he said.