Taipei, June 8 -- Taiwan has widened restrictions on participation in China's annual Straits Forum, barring both central and local government officials from attending the event, as reported by Focus Taiwan.

According to Focus Taiwan, the 18th Straits Forum is scheduled to take place in Xiamen, Fujian Province, in mid-June, with its main conference set for June 13. Chinese authorities have promoted the event as a platform to enhance cross-strait exchanges and deepen integration between Taiwan and mainland China.

However, Taiwan's government views the forum differently. Speaking at a regular press briefing, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh described the forum as a Chinese Communist Party (CCP...