Mainland to continue supporting cross-Strait exchanges despite COVID-19

BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson on Wednesday said the Chinese mainland will continue to support cross-Strait exchanges despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said the mainland has always been committed to promoting cross-Strait exchanges, and has repeatedly stressed that cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation should not be suspended whatever the difficulties.

He added that the mainland will follow epidemic prevention measures and not impose any special restrictions on Taiwan compatriots.

On the contrary, since the outbreak of the pandemic, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority has unreasonably stopped people of the mainland from entering Taiwan, made things difficult for the normal rotation of mainland personnel stationed on the island and hindered cross-Strait marriage and family reunions, Ma said.

Denouncing the DPP authority for fabricating various excuses to impose discriminatory measures against mainland enterprises, mainland students, and mainland spouses and their families, Ma said this has exposed DPP's nature of seeking "Taiwan independence" that will cause further resentment from compatriots on both sides.