Beijing criticizes Taipei over obstacles to Shanghai-Taipei forum

A Chinese mainland spokeswoman on Tuesday accused Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party of obstructing cross-Strait exchanges, while highlighting the outcomes of the 2024 Shanghai-Taipei City Forum held in Taipei.

Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, praised the forum, which concluded Tuesday, as a platform for fostering cooperation since its inception in 2010. This year's event brought together representatives from Shanghai and Taipei and resulted in two memorandums of understanding being signed.

"The agreements will bring tangible benefits to residents of both cities and have been positively received on both sides of the Taiwan Strait," Zhu said.

However, she criticized the DPP for "deliberate obstruction" of some Shanghai delegation members and journalists, accusing the DPP of barring them from attending the forum. "This unreasonable and unpopular behavior creates unnecessary barriers to cross-Strait collaboration," Zhu said.

Zhu reiterated Beijing's position that people on both sides of the Strait belong to "one family" and called for adherence to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus while opposing any moves toward Taiwan independence.

Discussions during the forum included the resumption of mainland tourism to Taiwan. Shanghai Deputy Mayor Hua Yuan expressed hopes to restart group tours for Shanghai residents, potentially including Taipei as a destination.

Zhu voiced support for restoring cross-Strait tourism to pre-pandemic levels and called on Taiwan to remove restrictions that hinder exchanges. "The sooner these restrictions are lifted, the sooner residents from Shanghai and across the mainland can visit Taiwan again, bringing mutual benefits and strengthening ties," Zhu said.

The issue of cross-Strait travel has drawn attention amid efforts to improve economic and cultural ties, with Taiwan's tourism industry voicing support for resuming group tours from the mainland.