Taiwan Photo: Pixabay

The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council has responded to questions over whether Taiwan residents who have received COVID-19 vaccines will be exempted from quarantines upon arrival in the mainland, saying that multiple factors will be taken into consideration for further approval.

Spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said at a press briefing on Wednesday that "the related authorities need to take various aspects into consideration comprehensively before making any decisions to adjust COVID-19 control measure for compatriots in the island of Taiwan coming to the mainland."

"However, Taiwan's entry ban for mainland residents remains the biggest obstacle that hinders the normal communication between the island and the mainland," added Zhu, expressing her willingness to bring the communication between the compatriots across the Taiwan Straits back to normal.

What's more, as for Taiwan compatriots who live in the mainland, "we have been valuing and caring about their health and have been making arrangements for their COVID-19 vaccine inoculation during the pandemic," said Zhu, "and we have been offering free vaccine inoculation, especially for those who work in the imported cold-chain food and port quarantine industries in the mainland."

However, she added that the "Democratic Progressive Party and 'Taiwan independence' separatists have been meddling in questions such as the Hong Kong issue."

Zhu warned them to stop such futile behavior and stop interfering in Hong Kong issues. She also urged the Democratic Progressive Party to make efforts in promoting exchange and cooperation across the Taiwan Straits, instead of indulging in political operations to split and restrict the communication.

Global Times