Taipei [Taiwan], October 16 China's latest attempt to expand its single-entry visa-on-arrival policy to Taiwanese travellers has been dismissed by Taipei as an empty and politically driven manoeuvre. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said the measure is of "little practical interest" to most Taiwanese and represents a weak effort by Chinese officials to project activity in the absence of substantive cross-strait engagement, as reported by The Taipei Times.
According to The Taipei Times, China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) spokesperson Chen Binhua, while speaking at a press conference, claimed the new policy was designed to make travel "easier and safer" for Taiwanese citizens, whether entering the mainland directly or via Hong Kong, Macau, or other third countries. He described the initiative as a way to "promote peaceful cross-strait exchanges" and welcome all Taiwanese visitors, from tourists to athletes.
However, the MAC sharply disagreed that the announcement appeared to be more of a "publicity exercise" than a genuine policy move. The council warned that recent reports of Taiwanese citizens being detained or going missing in China highlight increasing personal safety risks for those travelling there. The council emphasised that China's Taiwan-related departments may have pushed out the policy to give the impression of progress amid growing criticism of Beijing's handling of cross-strait relations this year.
Experts in Taiwan also view the move as part of Beijing's long-standing "united front" strategy. National Cheng Kung University political science professor Hung Ching-fu stated that the visa expansion specifically targets Taiwanese youth, aiming to draw them to China and expose them to propaganda portraying the mainland as a benevolent "motherland," as cited by The Taipei Times.
Hung said Beijing's increased promotion of Taiwanese YouTubers who praise China's modernisation is another indication of the Chinese Communist Party's effort to manipulate perceptions. He added that the TAO's shift to weekly press briefings underscores China's determination to dominate the narrative on cross-strait relations."The visa policy isn't about convenience," Hung concluded in remarks, "It's about optics and control. Beijing wants to own the Taiwan discourse, not share it," as reported by The Taipei Times.
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