Shanghai Bureau: Residents Can Now Travel to Kinmen and Matsu

The Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism announced today that residents of Shanghai can now sign up for group and individual tours to Kinmen and Matsu through qualified travel agencies in Shanghai and Fujian Province. Applicants must apply for travel permits to both islands through the exit-entry administration of public security organs.

The official announcement follows a statement from China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism in February, which hinted at the resumption of travel to the offshore islands shortly after the cross-strait think tank forum.

At that time, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) responded by saying that cross-strait tourism must prioritize healthy and orderly exchanges without political considerations. Whether this resumption can be fully implemented as a policy remains to be seen, pending official measures and policy alignment between both sides to ensure smooth execution.