Mainland halts trips to Taiwan by individuals

Travel to Taiwan by individuals from the Chinese mainland will be suspended starting Thursday, given the current climate of cross-Straits relations, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced in a news release on Wednesday.

Mainland travelers who wish to visit Taiwan must now join tour groups, travel agencies said.

Individual travel to Taiwan was first permitted on a trial basis in June 2011 for travelers from the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen, Fujian province. This was expanded to 47 cities, including Tianjin, Chongqing and Nanjing, Jiangsu province, over the following three years.