China will restart some group tours to Taiwan "in the near future," China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced Friday.

The move would allow residents of Shanghai and the southeastern province of Fujian, China's closest province to Taiwan across the Taiwan Strait, to travel to the self-ruled island.

However, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism did not give a specific timeline for resuming group tours.

Why does China want to resume group tours to Taiwan?

The ministry said the tours would "promote the interests and wellbeing" of people on both sides of the strait.

It also added that the move would "further promote the normalization of cross-strait personnel exchanges."

There was no immediate reaction from Taiwan's government.

China-Taiwan tense relations

China and Taiwan have maintained restrictions on cross-strait travel.

In June last year, Taiwan raised its travel warning for China, telling its citizens not to visit the country unless absolutely necessary.

The travel alert followed a threat from Beijing to execute "diehard" advocates for Taiwanese independence.

Beijing sees the self-ruled island as part of its own territory.

In recent years, China has intensified efforts to diplomatically isolate Taipei by poaching its allies.

It has also ramped up military pressure by conducting large-scale military exercises around the island.

ess/sms (AFP, Reuters)