The Chinese government announced Wednesday that it will suspend a program allowing solo tourists from 47 cities to visit Taiwan, amid rising cross-strait tensions
In a statement, China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism said the travel ban would come into force on August 1, effectively banning all individual leisure travel from mainland China to Taiwan. Business travelers and tour groups will still be able to visit Taiwan from mainland China.The individual visit program was piloted in June 2011 in three cities -- Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen -- before being expanded to residents of 47 cities to encourage closer ties between Taiwan and the mainland.
Taiwan president gives first international network interview 07:11Taiwan and mainland China have been separately governed since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, but Beijing has never stopped viewing the island as an integral part of its territory.Under President Tsai, the island has pushed back against Beijing on a range of fronts and the Taiwan leader has made her tougher line on cross-strait relations a major issue in her bid for re-election next year.
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