TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP, 民進黨) Department of China Affairs (中國部) on Tuesday (Feb. 11) called for the resumption of cross-strait tourism through negotiations between the Taiwan Strait Tourism Association (TSTA, 台灣海峽兩岸觀光旅遊協會) and China's Association For Tourism Exchange Across The Taiwan Straits (ATETS, 海峽兩岸旅遊交流協會). Officials emphasized this approach to safeguard the interests of both tourists and citizens.
A planned visit by a delegation from Shanghai to the Taipei Lantern Festival (台北燈節) faced rejection by Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC, 陸委會) due to itinerary concerns in early February. Last Friday, China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO, 國台辦) accused Taiwan of obstructing Chinese nationals from visiting.
DPP's Department of China Affairs reiterated that tourism should adhere to agreements between the two associations. They criticized China for avoiding responsible negotiations by citing exceptions like the COVID-19 pandemic and the mini-three links (小三通).
The department also accused China of rejecting dialogue with the MAC while blaming Taiwan for halting tourism. They urged China to resume tourism through established channels, calling it the responsible course of action.
