At the January 28 press conference of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, a reporter asked: Recently, a retired Taiwanese serviceman entered a scenic area on the mainland using his Taiwan military retirement ID and requested free admission on the same basis as retired PLA personnel, which has attracted attention online. May retired Taiwanese servicemen receive the same treatment as retired PLA personnel in mainland scenic areas?
TAO spokesperson Zhang Han responded that since 2024, some mainland scenic areas have introduced various facilitation measures for Taiwan compatriots visiting the mainland. Among them, Taiwan compatriots who hold a Taiwan Compatriot Permit issued for the first time (issuance number “01”) are eligible, within one year, for ticket fee reductions or waivers when visiting mainland scenic areas and tourist attractions. The scope of application of these facilitation measures is clearly defined as Taiwan compatriot “first-time visitors” (台胞“首来族”).
As for the specific provisions regarding preferential ticket policies for retired personnel of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, he said that these can be checked separately.