Taipei: China's Spring Airlines announced that Taiwanese passengers can continue to use their Taiwan Compatriot Permit and Republic of China (Taiwan) passport for booking international flights, following the resolution of a system issue that had temporarily disrupted such bookings.

According to Focus Taiwan, Ding Yanjun, the chief representative of Spring Airlines Taiwan, addressed the media in Taipei after complaints surfaced from a WeChat group for Taiwanese in Shanghai. These members reported that their tickets from China to Japan and Cambodia were canceled due to incorrect documentation.

Ding explained that the issue was linked to a recent system upgrade that caused some routes to display incorrect documentation requirements online, compounded by miscommunications between passengers and customer service. He confirmed that the ticketing process for Taiwanese traveling to countries outside China, such as Japan, remains unchanged. Passengers can use their Taiwan Compatriot Permit to exit China and present their ROC passport when entering a third country.

Despite these assurances, some Taiwanese members of the WeChat group reported being informed by the airline earlier Monday that, effective September 12, Taiwan Compatriot Permits and ROC passports could not be used for purchasing international flight tickets, citing the "One-China principle."

A customer service official from the airline reportedly stated that all passengers, including Taiwanese travelers, must use travel documents recognized by the People's Republic of China to purchase tickets and board flights. However, after further inquiry by CNA, Spring Airlines' customer service confirmed that Taiwanese nationals are required to use their ROC passport when booking tickets for travel abroad, such as to Japan, without any restrictions.