Beijing hits out after Taipei bans mainland travel for Sun Yat-sen anniversary

Tensions have escalated between Beijing and Taipei over plans to commemorate Sun Yat-sen, the Chinese revolutionary hero revered by both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Beijing has strongly condemned Taipei's decision to prohibit Taiwanese officials from attending events in mainland China marking the 160th anniversary of Sun's birth on November 12.

Sun founded the Republic of China (ROC) in 1912, ending over 2,000 years of imperial rule, and later the Kuomintang (KMT) government fled to Taiwan after the civil war ended in 1949. Zhang Han, a spokeswoman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, denounced the travel ban imposed by Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as a "betrayal of history" that would "heighten cross-strait confrontation."

Beijing had previously announced its intention to host a grand celebration for the 160th birthday of Sun. President Xi Jinping is expected to deliver a speech at the 150th commemoration for Sun, the first time the DPP has formally blocked Taiwanese from participating in mainland Chinese events honoring Sun. The Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan urged "all sectors" to refrain from travelling to mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau for related events.

The council accused Beijing of distorting historical facts surrounding Sun and claimed the Communist Party uses commemorative events as propaganda tools to advance its "anti-independence, pro-reunification" narrative. In Taiwan, Sun is revered as the founding father of the ROC, while in mainland China, he is celebrated as the "Great Forerunner of the Democratic Revolution."

Beijing's commemorations aim to "unite all Chinese people—including Taiwan compatriots—to firmly counter 'Taiwan independence' forces, reject external interference, and work together towards national reunification and revitalisation." During Xi's 2016 speech, he emphasized that Communist Party members were the "most faithful successors of Sun Yat-sen’s revolutionary cause."

This statement was met with criticism from the KMT, which argued that the Kuomintang remains the legitimate successor to Sun’s ideals. The DPP's travel ban reflects a broader policy stance that has limited exchanges between the two sides, including a similar restriction on current and former officials attending Beijing's military parade last year.

Taipei's move also highlights the broader policy stance of limiting exchanges between the two sides, despite Sun being a historical figure claimed and honored by both Beijing and Taipei.