BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- In the first half of this year, Taiwan residents made 2.85 million trips to the Chinese mainland -- a destination the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have repeatedly peddled as unsafe.
This figure represents a 24.9 percent year-on-year increase, and the total number of such visits for the full year is projected to near the pre-pandemic peak of 6 million.
The surge came despite persistent warnings from the DPP authorities, which even claimed that some Taiwan residents "lost contact" after traveling to the mainland over the past two and a half years.
However, such claims stand in stark contrast to the experiences of a growing number of Taiwan people who have crossed the Taiwan Strait themselves.
From the breathtaking landscapes to the vibrant urban scenes, tourists from Taiwan are frequently seen enjoying their journeys across the mainland. Earlier in June, the 18th Straits Forum, held in east China's Fujian Province, drew more than 6,000 participants from Taiwan.
Firsthand experiences speak louder than fabricated narratives. After taking in the mainland's spectacular natural scenery and historical landmarks, traveling on its extensive high-speed rail network, and experiencing the convenience of urban life, many first-time visitors from Taiwan return home with a simple conclusion to share with their families and friends: the mainland is not only safe but also an attractive destination.
In fact, the DPP authorities' scaremongering narrative is riddled with lies. Their claims of Taiwan residents "losing contact" on the mainland have never been substantiated with specific cases or evidence. They were only fabricated to legitimize the DPP authorities' intensified measures to curb cross-Strait engagement, including restricting the island's civil servants from participating in activities on the mainland and even prohibiting them from visiting their family members living on the other side of the Strait.
All these moves reveal the DPP authorities' fear that cross-Strait exchanges will erode their anti-mainland policies and pursuit of "Taiwan independence." However, public opinion cannot be so easily manipulated -- the Taiwan people have made their choice, as shown by the rising numbers of applications for mainland travel permits and cross-Strait trips to the mainland.
The sustained growth in cross-Strait exchanges suggests that the aspirations for peace, development, dialogue and cooperation continue to resonate widely among people in Taiwan, while the DPP authorities appear increasingly out of step with that sentiment.
The Taiwan question is a scar left over 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. However, the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory has never changed, and people-to-people exchanges, driven by shared interests and cultural affinity, will continue proving more resilient than attempts to drive the two sides apart.
As more people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait choose direct engagement over mutual suspicion and estrangement, every visit, conversation and collaboration stands as compelling evidence that cross-Strait ties will inevitably grow closer. ■
