New mainland travel pass measures aim to accommodate Taiwan residents

A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Thursday said that newly adopted measures for mainland travel passes held by residents of Taiwan aim to facilitate study, work, and life on the mainland.

Under these new measures, Taiwan residents who lose, damage or forget to carry their travel permits can apply for a temporary electronic permit that will be valid for seven days, allowing them to board flights and trains within mainland cities. A verification service has also been launched to link travel and residence permits.

Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, emphasized that these services require voluntary application and strict identity verification, ensuring the security of personal information.

Chen also criticized Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities for misleading the Taiwan public by equating residence permits issued to people from Taiwan on the mainland with ID cards held by mainland residents.

Residence permits are designed solely to assist Taiwan residents living on the mainland, and do not require holders to give up their residency in Taiwan, he said.

Chen reaffirmed that authorities will strictly protect the personal information of permit holders, and urged Taiwan residents to use the service with confidence.