Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities are using deception and intimidation to block cross-Strait exchanges and weaken people-to-people ties, said Zhang Han, spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.
Zhang responded to a media query about the DPP's plan to publish weekly updates on alleged cases of Taiwan residents reportedly missing or detained on the mainland, alongside their advisory urging Taiwan residents to carefully assess the risks and avoid mainland trips when possible. "From January to June this year, cross-Strait travel reached 3.119 million trips, up 22.1 percent year on year. Among them, compatriots in Taiwan region made 2.85 million trips to the mainland, an increase of 24.9 percent from the same period last year. More and more compatriots are coming to the mainland for exchanges, study, work and tourism. We safeguard the lives, property and legitimate rights and interests of compatriots from Taiwan region who come to the mainland in accordance with the law, ensuring that the compatriots can travel across the Strait safely and smoothly," she said.
"The DPP authorities have ignored the facts, fabricated claims and repeatedly hyped so-called 'missing persons' cases in an attempt to create a chilling effect, deceive and intimidate the people in Taiwan region, so as to achieve the goal of deterring cross-Strait exchanges and severing the kinship between compatriots on both sides of the Strait. Their actions are shameful and their motives are execrable," Zhang noted.
Mainland slams Taiwan's DPP authorities for using fear tactics to deter mainland travel
Emergency measures are being put in place to help urban areas across China cope with sweltering daytime temperatures as a severe heatwave grips multiple regions of the country, with local community rest stations being set up to shield residents and provide much-needed respite to outdoor workers amid the scorching weather.
Large swathes of the country are baking as the summer heat takes hold. According to the Central Meteorological Observatory of China, eight of the top ten hottest areas nationwide on Wednesday were in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, where Turpan and Toksun both recorded temperatures above 44.5 degrees Celsius.
The intense heat is unlikely to let up anytime soon, as Hami Meteorological Station has issued a red alert and is forecasting that temperatures in Hami City will exceed 40 degrees Celsius from Wednesday to Sunday.
In an effort to combat the heatwave, the local sanitation department has deployed multiple sprinkler and spray trucks to cover major roads in downtown Hami to help with dust suppression and road surface cooling, while upping the frequency of operations.
Persistent high temperatures have also affected many areas in the southwestern Sichuan Province, with some weather stations recording maximum highs exceeding 42 degrees Celsius and weather alerts being issued in numerous cities.
In Guang'an City, the mercury had already soared to 38 degrees Celsius by 10:00 Wednesday morning, pointing to a long, hot day ahead.
However, the county has opened nearly 350 'rest stations' to help local people escape the heat. These air-conditioned cooling points, equipped with fans, drinking water, emergency medicines, and seating, provide much-needed rest areas for outdoor workers such as delivery drivers and couriers, as well as to the elderly and other passersby.
"This round of high temperatures is characterized by its long duration, high temperatures, and the oppressive, muggy conditions, impacting outdoor workers and the elderly the most," said Yu Jilin, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group at the Wusheng County Federation of Trade Unions.
In the neighboring Chongqing Municipality, a red alert for high temperatures was issued on the same day.
At the exit of a busy highway in Wuxi County, heat waves shimmered on the road surface amid heavy traffic. Police officers on duty were busy checking vehicles under the scorching sun, focusing on any potential safety hazards in passenger and freight vehicles, while enduring the sizzling weather themselves.
"The main issue is the high temperature -- surface temperatures can reach over 50 degrees Celsius. Whenever we are on duty, the exhaust from passing fuel-powered vehicles feels scorching hot against our bodies," said Lin Xianyong, an auxiliary police officer.
Air-conditioned "rest stations" set up to provide respite as scorching heatwave grips China
