BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhua) — A Chinese mainland spokesperson said Wednesday that the mainland will continue to facilitate visits by Taiwan compatriots, urging the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities to remove restrictions. obstacles to trade between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.

It is a common aspiration of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to expand exchanges and deepen cooperation, said Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. during a press conference.

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

Data shows that the mainstream opinion of Taiwanese society continues to prioritize peace, development, exchanges and cooperation with the mainland, Zhu said.