A view of the Taiwan Straits is seen from Xiamen port, in East China's Fujian Province. Photo: IC

A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday said that by deliberately differentiating the Chinese dialects used on the island of Taiwan from Putonghua (standard Chinese), Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority is staging a poor melodrama to push forward "de-Sinicization" on the island.

Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks in response to a question about Lai Ching-te, leader of the Taiwan region, recently giving a public speech in the Minnan dialect, which is widely spoken in Fujian Province and Taiwan. Meanwhile, the authority in the education sector on the island announced plans to label the Minnan dialect as an "indigenous language" in Taiwan by renaming the proficiency exam for the dialect.

The Minnan and Hakka dialects spoken by Taiwan compatriots are the same as those spoken by people in East China's Fujian Province and South China's Guangdong Province. They are, in fact, dialects of the Chinese language, and were brought to Taiwan by ancient migrants from today's Guangdong and Fujian provinces. People from both sides of the Taiwan Straits speak the same dialects and can understand each other, Zhu said.

The DPP authorities' attempt to politicize the name of dialects is purely self-deception. No matter how much they fuss, they cannot erase the influence of Chinese culture on Taiwan compatriots, nor diminish their sense of national consciousness, added Zhu.

Meanwhile, a popular online term "city bu city," which literally means "city or not city," questioning whether a place has the fashionable style and atmosphere of a big metropolitan, has become a hit in Taiwan. Under the interpretation of youth in Taiwan, this mixed Chinese-English phrase has become a term expressing their fondness for the mainland. 

With the implementation of the 144-hour transit visa-free policy, more and more foreign tourists are coming to China to experience its high-quality development and high-level openness. Compared to foreign friends, it is even more convenient for Taiwan compatriots to travel to the mainland, noted Zhu in response to a question about the online term.

"We welcome and look forward to Taiwan compatriots, especially young friends, coming to the mainland for impromptu trips. With just a plane ticket, a backpack, and a mobile phone, they can explore the beautiful scenery across the mainland, experience local customs, enjoy the splendid Chinese culture, and taste unique local snacks. By visiting the mainland, everyone will discover a real, multi-dimensional, and charming place, and will find that people in the mainland are kind, enthusiastic, and hospitable. Once you visit it, you will definitely want to come again and again," Zhu said.