BEIJING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Tuesday condemned Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for deliberately blocking mainland participation in the 2024 Shanghai-Taipei City Forum that resulted in the exclusion of several delegates and journalists from the event.
Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks in response to a media inquiry about the just-concluded forum, which has been alternately hosted by the two cities since 2010.
This year's event featured meaningful discussions between representatives from both cities, leading to the signing of two memoranda of understanding aimed at fostering further collaboration, Zhu said.
"The actions taken by the DPP authorities are unreasonable and widely unpopular," Zhu stated, adding that the mainland will continue to work with Taiwan compatriots to promote cross-Strait exchanges, cooperation and integration.
In response to a question about the speech delivered by Hua Yuan, deputy mayor of Shanghai, at the forum's opening ceremony, in which he expressed Shanghai's intention to promote group tours for Shanghai residents to Taiwan, Zhu reaffirmed the mainland's consistent support for the normalization of cross-Strait exchanges, including tourism.
"We look forward to the early resumption of travel to Taiwan for mainland residents, including those from Shanghai," she said, urging the DPP authorities to lift restrictions that hinder cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation. ■
