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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".

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