Chinese budget airline Spring Airlines denied Monday that it has barred travelers from using Taiwan passports to purchase tickets for overseas flights, calling earlier reports "misinformation" amid claims the move was intended to align with Beijing's "one-China principle," Taiwan media reported.

Earlier reports said the policy, in effect since Sept. 12, required travelers to present either a mainland Chinese passport or one from a country recognized by Beijing when booking international flights, affecting Taiwanese residents in China attempting to purchase Spring Airlines tickets to destinations such as Japan and South Korea.

The company's Taiwan representative denied the claims, saying they were "misinformation" caused by a system malfunction that has since been fully resolved, allowing Taiwanese travelers to use either their passport or mainland-issued "Taiwan compatriot permits" to book tickets normally, the reports said.

The ticketing issue comes amid rising cross-strait tensions and the suspension of most tourism exchanges. Some Taiwanese residents in China claimed that their attempts to book Spring Airlines flights to overseas destinations were canceled due to "invalid documents," according to the reports.

Taiwan media previously reported that Spring Airlines has framed the decision as a matter of compliance with sovereignty and legal norms. Under Beijing's one-China principle, the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party is recognized as the "sole legal government of China."

==Kyodo

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