英语新闻丨Taiwan people embrace travel to mainland

More Taiwan residents are supporting and participating in cross-Strait exchanges despite restrictions imposed by the Democratic Progressive Party, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said on Wednesday.中国大陆发言人周三表示，尽管民进党实施了限制，但仍有更多台湾居民支持和参与两岸交流。In late June, the mainland announced that starting July 1, the fee for Taiwan residents applying for a mainland travel permit for the first time would be waived. The policy has been widely recognized and praised on the island.6月下旬，大陆宣布从7月1日起，台湾居民首次申领大陆通行证的费用将被免除。该政策在岛上得到了广泛认可和赞扬。Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a news conference that since the policy took effect, there has been a notable surge in the number of applications for travel permits from first-time applicants.国务院台湾事务办公室发言人朱凤莲在新闻发布会上说，自该政策生效以来，首次申请旅行证的人数明显增加。In July, the number of applications rose 22 percent from the previous month, with 72 percent of applicants under age 45.7月份，申请人数比上个月增加了22%，其中72%的申请者年龄在45岁以下。"This indicates a clear rise in the willingness of young people in Taiwan to visit and engage with the mainland," Zhu said.朱说：“这表明台湾年轻人访问大陆和接触大陆的意愿明显上升。”。She added that the mainland also saw a substantial increase in first-time visitors from Taiwan. In July, the number of first-time visitors grew 33 percent compared with the previous month.她补充说，大陆首次来台湾的游客也大幅增加。7月份，首次访问的人数比上个月增长了33%。"We will continue to introduce more policies that benefit Taiwan people and create better conditions for cross-Strait exchanges and interactions," Zhu said, encouraging more Taiwan residents to "embark on the journey to witness the real and multifaceted mainland".朱说：“我们将继续出台更多惠及台湾人民的政策，为两岸交流互动创造更好的条件。From Sept 11 to 14, an expo showcasing popular products from Taiwan will be held in Dongguan, Guangdong province, aiming to help Taiwan enterprises expand into the domestic market. Nearly 600 enterprises and more than 2,000 buyers have registered, Zhu said.9月11日至14日，一场展示台湾热门产品的博览会将在广东东莞举行，旨在帮助台湾企业拓展国内市场。朱说，已有近600家企业和2000多名买家注册。"The event aims to support Taiwan compatriots and businesses in seizing opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and building a common market across the Strait," she said.她说：“此次活动旨在支持台湾同胞和企业抓住广东-香港-澳门大湾区的机遇，建设两岸共同市场。”。A cross-Strait youth exchange event taking place in Shanghai in August is also expected to attract more than 2,000 young participants from Taiwan, Zhu said.朱说，今年8月在上海举行的两岸青年交流活动预计将吸引2000多名台湾青年参加。She noted that many Taiwan netizens are posting videos on social media platforms that objectively share information about the mainland, often commenting, "We are one family across the Strait, we are all Chinese."她指出，许多台湾网民在社交媒体平台上发布客观分享大陆信息的视频，经常评论道：“我们是海峡两岸的一家人，我们都是中国人。”"We welcome more Taiwan compatriots to visit the mainland and experience the pride of being Chinese together," she said.她说：“我们欢迎更多台湾同胞来大陆访问，共同体验身为中国人的自豪感。”。Zhu also said Taiwan residents can open accounts on mainland social media platforms, such as Douyin and Bilibili, to share information with mainland netizens as long as they apply according to the rules.朱还表示，台湾居民只要按照规定申请，就可以在抖音、哔哩哔哩等大陆社交媒体平台上开立账户，与大陆网民分享信息。"We are pleased to see netizens from both sides of the Strait enhancing mutual understanding, learning from each other, following and liking each other's content in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, thereby strengthening friendships and well-being," she said.她说：“我们很高兴看到海峡两岸的网民根据相关法律法规增进相互了解，相互学习，关注和喜欢对方的内容，从而加强友谊和福祉。”。surgen.激增/sɜːdʒ/netizensn.网络公民/ˈnɛtɪzənz/