BEIJING – The Chinese mainland on Wednesday urged authorities in Taiwan to return to the 1992 Consensus, describing this agreement reached by the two sides 32 years ago as the "anchor for peace and stability" in the region.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, reiterated the call while responding to recent remarks from officials of Taiwan's mainland affairs council and the Straits Exchange Foundation denying the 1992 Consensus.

She recounted how the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits and the Straits Exchange Foundation from Taiwan in 1992 reached the consensus, which was expressed orally but backed by written records, articulating the shared commitment to the one-China principle across the Strait.

The 1992 Consensus clearly defines the nature of cross-Strait relations, which acknowledges that both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China, and this relationship is neither state-to-state relations nor "one China, one Taiwan," said Zhu.

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This has laid the political foundation for the development of cross-Strait relations, she said, adding that it has enabled cross-Strait consultations and negotiations, facilitated exchanges between the political parties of the two sides, and institutionalized consultations and communication across the Strait.

Any intentional misinterpretation of history, denial of the 1992 Consensus' significance, or claims that portray it as outdated are unhelpful to improving cross-Strait relations, added the spokesperson.  

Enhanced access for Taiwan compatriots

The mainland would continue to make it easier for Taiwan compatriots to visit, urging the Democratic Progressive Party authorities to remove obstacles to cross-Strait exchanges, said Zhu.

It is a shared aspiration of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to expand exchanges and deepen cooperation, she said.

According to data from the National Immigration Administration, 994,000 travel permits have been issued for Taiwan residents to visit the mainland this year. Additionally, total 2.96 million entries have been made by Taiwan individuals into the mainland, a year-on-year increase of 68.4 percent.

The data shows that the mainstream opinion in Taiwan society continues to prioritize peace, development, exchange, and cooperation with the mainland, said Zhu.

To attract Taiwan tourists, many mainland attractions are offering incentives to them. Following promotional activities for Taiwan tourists at over 1,200 mainland attractions, an increasing number of sites are now offering free admission within a year to Taiwan visitors who obtain their travel permits for the first time.

So far, nearly 2,500 mainland attractions have launched promotions for first-time Taiwan visitors.

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To facilitate exchanges between people across the Strait, the mainland has increased the number of ferry services between Fujian and Taiwan this year. There are currently 210 ferry trips each week on routes from Mawei to Matsu, Huangqi to Matsu, Quanzhou to Kinmen, and Xiamen to Kinmen.

As of Oct 19, the passenger volume for these routes has exceeded one million this year.

Since 2020, the DPP authorities have used the COVID-19 epidemic as an excuse to ban mainland residents from traveling to Taiwan and have also suspended the operation of group tours to the mainland by travel agencies on the island, said Zhu, urging the DPP authorities to lift restrictions on cross-Strait exchanges