Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson of Taiwan Affairs Office of State Council. Photo: VCG

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)'s travel alert about the mainland and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions are just political manipulation, aimed at smearing and defaming the mainland, and threatening and intimidating the people in Taiwan, and the mainland strongly opposes it, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in a statement on Friday.

The “mainland affairs council” in Taiwan island said on Thursday that it would raise a travel alert for the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao to the second-highest orange alert with immediate effect, advising residents in Taiwan “to avoid unnecessary travel to these regions due to increasing safety concerns,” according to media reports.

Zhu noted that the judicial document issued by the mainland recently to punish diehard "Taiwan independence" separatists in accordance with the law does not involve the vast majority of Taiwan compatriots, but targets a very small number of stubborn "Taiwan independence" separatists who engage in malicious "independence" activities and incite separatist crimes. 

Only by punishing diehard "Taiwan independence" separatists and their separatist activities in accordance with the law can we maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and fundamentally safeguard the vital interests and well-being of the vast majority of Taiwan compatriots, said Zhu.

The DPP authorities disregard the facts, maliciously smear the relevant judicial documents, and use the so-called travel warning for political manipulation. This is a blatant threat and intimidation to the people of Taiwan, seriously infringing on their legitimate rights and interests and undermining the development of cross-Straits relations, said Zhu.

The spokesperson said that the DPP authorities make excuses to deceive the people of the island, obstruct cross-Straits exchanges, and incite confrontation, which contradicts the mainstream public opinion in the island that seeks peace, development, exchanges, and cooperation. 

Residents in Taiwan  have strong willingness to travel to the mainland, and the tourism industry in the island has been calling on the DPP authorities to lift the ban on Taiwan travel agencies organizing tours to the mainland as soon as possible. But the DPP authorities not only do not respond to public opinion, but also rudely threaten to obstruct people from traveling to the mainland, said Zhu. 

We call on the vast majority of Taiwan compatriots to see through the political manipulation of the DPP authorities which harms the interests of the people, said Zhu, noting that Taiwan compatriots participating in cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation can come to the mainland without any concerns.

Global Times