BEIJING -- The Chinese mainland has authorized another two cities to issue entry permits to Taiwan residents, a mainland spokesman announced on Wednesday.

Yancheng in Jiangsu Province and Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province will be able to issue entry permits to Taiwanese from Feb. 5, Yang Yi, spokesman for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a press conference.

According to Yang, the addition will mean there are 32 cities allowed to issue the certificates, which allow Taiwanese to stay in the mainland for a period of up to five years.

Yang noted that the government has been consistently simplifying procedures for people from Taiwan to travel, work and live in the mainland, and will fast-track promoting a digitalized version of entry passes for Taiwanese.

He also said that he hopes the Taiwan side will beef up measures to ensure the safety of mainland tourists during the approaching Chinese Lunar New Year holidays.

In response to a question, Yang said the mainland will take measures to promote sound media communication and a system under which journalists are allowed to set up permanent offices on either side of the Strait, which is "of great concern to press circles of both sides."

He asked the Taiwan authorities not to "set obstacles" so as to realize the establishment of such permanent offices at an early date.