China says it will allow tourists from selected cities on the mainland to visit Taiwan as individuals, rather than requiring them to travel in tightly-supervised groups.

In a speech at a cross-strait forum in Xiamen, Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of China's State Council Wang Yi said Sunday that the trial of the new policy would begin June 28.

Wang said the initial trial would include residents of Beijing, Shanghai and the coastal city of Xiamen on the Taiwan Strait. He added that cross-strait flights will be increased from 370 to 558 per week.