BEIJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland remains the "best choice" for Taiwan businesses seeking to invest and expand, a mainland spokesperson said Wednesday, rejecting a recent claim by Taiwan authorities that businesses on the island should exercise caution over such investment.
Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said the mainland also offers fertile ground for innovation and development, as well as strong support for businesses seeking to defuse risks.
Two-way trade between the mainland and Taiwan reached 221.8 billion U.S. dollars in the first seven months of this year, up 26.5 percent year on year, according to figures cited by Chen.
Mainland exports to Taiwan rose 31.6 percent to 62.17 billion dollars, while mainland imports from Taiwan increased 24.7 percent to 159.63 billion dollars, he said.
"The figures showed the close economic links between the two sides and the strength of their shared interests, as well as stable and resilient industrial and supply chains across the Taiwan Strait," Chen said.
The mainland economy's vitality and resilience have provided a source of momentum and "hard-won certainty" for the global economy, while creating new opportunities and space for greater cross-Strait economic cooperation and integration, Chen said.
The Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) plans to increase its budget by 10 million New Taiwan dollars (about 320,000 U.S. dollars) in 2027 for raising awareness of travel safety on the mainland. Commenting on the move, Chen said the foundation had been established to serve as a bridge across the Strait, but had now become a tool for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities to stoke confrontation and obstruct cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation.
"My response to the SEF's recent move is to remember its original mission and do more useful work," Chen said.
Nearly 4.9 million trips were made by Taiwan residents to the mainland in 2025, with the figure reaching 2.85 million in the first half of this year.
"They all came happily and returned safely," Chen said.
The spokesperson also responded to a recent policy by Taiwan's tourism authorities asking travel agencies to keep dynamic records of people traveling to the mainland, saying it is intended to help inform any future emergency response.
Chen called the measure another attempt by the DPP authorities to intimidate Taiwan residents and obstruct cross-Strait exchanges and travel.
Taiwan residents traveling on the mainland enjoy the same legal protection as their mainland counterparts, he noted.
If their lawful rights and interests are harmed, they could file complaints with the tourism department where the tourism operator is located, where the travel contract is signed, or where the dispute occurs, he said, adding that they can also call the government service hotline or contact local Taiwan affairs offices for assistance.
"None of these are problems. The ones creating problems are the DPP authorities," Chen said.
The Taiwan question is left by a full-blown civil war fought between the forces led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) about eight decades ago. In 1949, the remnants of the defeated KMT retreated to Taiwan, and the People's Republic of China was founded under the leadership of the CPC.
The unresolved civil war and foreign interference have left the two sides of the Strait in a prolonged state of political confrontation, though the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory has never changed. ■
