A mainland spokesperson on Thursday slammed the administration of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for undermining the basis for mainland residents to visit Taiwan.

People take photos of the landmark Taipei 101 building in Taiwan in 2017. (File Photo: Xinhua)

The DPP administration has continuously promoted "Taiwan independence" activities, constantly inciting hostility towards the mainland and cross-Straits confrontation, according to Ma Xiaoguang, the spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office.

Ma made the remarks a day after a notice published on the website of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Wednesday. The notice said that the trial run of a scheme wherein residents from 47 mainland cities can visit Taiwan as individual tourists would be suspended starting August.

Ma said the trial run of the scheme, launched in 2011, was a positive measure to expand cross-Straits people-to-people exchanges for the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.

Ma stressed that mainland residents’ visits to Taiwan have played a positive role in promoting Taiwan’s tourism and related industries over the years.

“I believe that compatriots on both sides of the Straits hope cross-Straits relations will return to the right track of peaceful development at an early date and mainland residents' visits to Taiwan can return to normal and healthy development as soon as possible,” said Ma.