A Chinese mainland spokesman urged Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities on Wednesday to lift restrictions on cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, aligning with mainstream public opinion on the island.

The mainland, on Sunday, released a package of 10 measures aimed at promoting exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait.

Chen Binhua, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a regular press conference that the mainland will advance implementation of the policy package to benefit people on both sides.

He called on the DPP authorities to heed public opinion and respond to industry concerns by removing obstacles to the normalization of cross-Strait personnel exchanges and cooperation across various sectors.

The measures cover areas including party-to-party communication mechanisms, youth exchanges, infrastructure connectivity, economic cooperation, tourism and cultural exchanges.

The package was released as a delegation led by Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang, concluded a six-day visit to the mainland on Sunday.

Responding to DPP claims that the measures "instrumentalize exchanges" and "weaponize economic cooperation", Chen said similar policies benefiting Taiwan compatriots are routinely mischaracterized by the DPP.

He accused the DPP authorities of opposing measures that could improve the well-being of people in Taiwan.

Chen said what a section of the media described as a "reflexive response" from the DPP has drawn criticism on the island, urging the authorities to be more attentive to public opinion and take concrete steps to promote exchanges rather than obstruct access to benefits.

Lee Cheng-hung, president of the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland, said the measures address key needs in cross-Strait cooperation and provide stronger support for Taiwan investors and businesses operating on the mainland.

Chang Li-chi, a Taiwan scholar at Huaqiao University in Xiamen, Fujian province, said the measures prioritize the well-being and interests of Taiwan compatriots and aim to help them share in the mainland's development.

He said DPP authorities, by discrediting the measures, are undermining livelihoods and development opportunities for people in Taiwan.

"The authorities seek to create an 'information cocoon' to mislead Taiwan residents and distort the mainland's goodwill," Chang said.

As part of the measures, the mainland will promote the full resumption of cross-Strait passenger flights, which Chen said, have been disrupted by interference from the DPP authorities.

A mainland-based cross-Strait air transport exchange commission has repeatedly urged the Taipei Airlines Association to fully restore direct passenger flights.

Currently, there are 15 mainland destinations across 14 cities for cross-Strait flights, with more than 300 round-trip flights per week, Chen said. That remains below pre-2020 levels, when there were 61 mainland destinations and up to 890 weekly passenger flights.

In 2025, more than 5.78 million passenger trips were made on direct cross-Strait flights, with an average load factor exceeding 80 percent.

"There is strong public demand on both sides of the Taiwan Strait for the full resumption of direct flight destinations," Chen said, urging Taiwan to lift unreasonable restrictions and allow airlines to arrange schedules based on market demand.

Despite obstacles, official data showed that in the first quarter, applications for mainland travel permits by Taiwan residents rose 11.8 percent year-on-year, while entries of Taiwan residents into the mainland increased 27.6 percent, according to the National Immigration Administration.

Chen said the majority of people in Taiwan support peace, development and exchanges.

"The DPP authorities are destined to fail as they ignore public opinion and act against the prevailing trend," he said.

lishangyi@chinadaily.com.cn