China’s Taiwan Affairs Office was asked whether retired military personnel from Taiwan can enjoy free admission to scenic spots on the mainland. The office’s response pointed to the administrative reality that ticketing and concession policies are set by individual attractions and local governments, rather than by a blanket cross‑strait exemption for a particular group.
The exchange highlights a narrow but politically charged question: whether veterans from Taiwan — a population that is both socially respected and politically sensitive — should be treated as a special category when they cross the Strait. On the mainland, concessions for seniors, servicemembers and certain public servants are common; whether and how such rules apply to residents of Taiwan has been handled unevenly and often on a case‑by‑case basis.
At stake is more than the cost of admission. How Beijing answers routine administrative queries about benefits for Taiwan residents is a small test of its broader approach to cross‑Strait engagement. Granting visible, preferential treatment to veterans would send a symbolic signal of goodwill and inclusion; treating their access as a local matter preserves administrative flexibility while avoiding a high‑profile political declaration.
For Taipei, the issue carries domestic resonance. Veterans are a constituency with distinct social standing and political networks; any mainland move to single them out for preferential treatment could be framed in Taiwan as an attempt at influence or persuasion. Conversely, a low‑key, bureaucratic handling of the question reduces the likelihood that the matter will become a flashpoint.
The response from the Taiwan Affairs Office also reflects a broader playbook Beijing has used in recent years: combine selective incentives and facilitation measures for Taiwanese individuals and groups with a refusal to commit to sweeping, centralized policies that could create political complications. That posture allows local authorities to experiment with measures to attract tourism and exchanges while shielding central policy from politicized backlash.
Ultimately, this is a small administrative answer with outsized symbolic value. Whether or not Taiwan’s veterans win free entry at more mainland scenic sites will depend largely on local governments and the political calculus in Taipei, but the episode illustrates how even mundane questions of ticket policy can become vehicles for signaling in the fraught cross‑Strait relationship.