This week, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council voiced strong opposition to new proposals by Taiwan authorities to tighten travel rules for cross-strait visits, calling them a dangerous bid to weaken family bonds across the Taiwan Strait.
At a routine press conference, spokesperson Zhu Fenglian condemned the proposed amendment to the Permit Measures for Civil Servants and Specified Personnel of the Taiwan Area Entering the Mainland as "another nefarious act by the DPP authorities to hinder and harass cross-strait communication." She also criticized the DPP authorities' efforts to stop Taiwan compatriots from traveling to the Chinese mainland and its suppression of Taiwan entities that actively promote cross-strait communication, warning any abuse of power to jeopardize kinship ties is "bound to face public scorn."
Under the draft changes, eligibility for mainland travel for family reunions or funerals would shrink from relatives within the fourth degree of kinship to those within the third degree. High-ranking civil workers and police officials in Taiwan would also face a new requirement: filing trip applications at least seven days before departure.
Analysts warn these restrictions risk isolating communities and hindering cultural exchanges that have flourished over recent years. For young professionals, business enthusiasts, and digital nomads who rely on seamless travel across the strait, the proposed curbs could mean longer wait times, fractured family networks, and disrupted partnerships.
As regional tensions draw global attention, any move that narrows the space for people-to-people contact carries risks far beyond the Taiwan Strait, with potential impacts on economic, social, and cultural linkages that span G20 nations and beyond.
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Mainland condemns DPP's scheme to jeopardize cross-strait kinship
cgtn.com
