During a press conference on October 18, Zhang Ning, spokesperson for the National Immigration Administration and Deputy Director of the Comprehensive Department, highlighted a notable trend in the increasing number of Taiwanese residents moving to mainland China. He stated that this year, applications from Taiwanese individuals seeking to settle in the mainland have been rising monthly, surpassing the total from the previous decade.
Zhang explained that in recent years, the National Immigration Administration has actively implemented policies to facilitate travel and residency for Taiwanese nationals in mainland China. Notably, in January of this year, ten new entry and exit policy measures were introduced to support the development of a cross-strait integration demonstration zone in Fujian Province, which have been well-received by the Taiwanese community.
He noted a significant increase in the numbers of Taiwanese visiting the mainland for tourism, education, and employment this year, pointing out three major areas of growth:
First, the issuance of Taiwanese resident permits has surged. This year, public security entry and exit management departments across the country issued nearly 994,000 permits, a 14.5% increase compared to last year, which already exceeds the levels seen in 2019. Remarkably, nearly 30% of these permits were issued to young Taiwanese, with first-time applicants making up 23% of the total. Specifically, in Fujian alone, 277,000 Taiwanese nationals applied for entry and exit documents, marking a 33.8% increase from the same period last year.
Second, the number of Taiwanese entering the mainland has also seen a significant rise. This year, 2.961 million Taiwanese entered the mainland, a 68.4% increase compared to last year. Those entering benefit from efficient permit processing and customs services; to date, immigration authorities have provided port processing services for 40,000 people and facilitated convenient border crossing for 705,000 travelers.
Third, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of Taiwanese choosing to settle in the mainland. The applications for residency have been rising month by month, with total applications already surpassing the amount from the past ten years. The National Immigration Administration has provided real-time, free identity verification services to 5.4 million Taiwanese residents living in the mainland, reflecting a 34.3% year-on-year increase, making the process for obtaining permits much more convenient.
Zhang concluded by stating that the National Immigration Administration plans to continuously innovate and optimize entry and exit policies for Taiwanese nationals, especially young people and first-time visitors. The aim is to encourage more Taiwanese individuals to explore, settle, integrate, and succeed in mainland China, thereby deepening exchanges across various fields between the two sides of the strait.
