TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan is willing to allow more Chinese tourists to maintain cross-strait exchanges based on equality and mutual respect, Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said in a Q&A session on Wednesday that followed his New Year’s Day address.

If China is sincere, negotiations between the Taiwan Strait Tourism Association and China’s Association for Tourism Exchange Across the Taiwan Straits could commence, Lai said. He pointed out that 2.05 million Taiwanese visited China for tourism and business between January and November last year, while Chinese visitors to Taiwan during the same period numbered just 285,000.

Lai added that Taiwan has opened its doors to Chinese students to study and obtain degrees, yet the number remains zero because China has not reciprocated. Taiwan also permits independent travel for Chinese citizens but none have come, the president said. These figures show that the true barrier to cross-strait exchanges lies with China, he said.

Lai questioned China’s rationale for allowing its citizens to travel freely to countries like the US and Japan without restriction yet imposes measures on Taiwan. 

“Is this truly an expression of goodwill toward Taiwan? Can’t Taiwan be treated equally?” he asked.

China ended independent travel to Taiwan on Aug. 1, 2019. In early 2020, it suspended group tours to Taiwan and other countries. 

The first group of tourists from China’s Fujian Province to Taiwan’s Matsu Islands arrived in August 2024.