BEIJING, Jan 17 (Reuters) - China has begun preparations to resume group tours to Taiwan by residents of Shanghai and Fujian province in the near future, China's culture and tourism ministry said on Friday.

China and Taiwan have argued since the end of COVID-19 about when and how tourism from China to the island could resume, with each side blaming the other for it not yet fully returning, adding to existing tensions between the two sides.

At his New Year's news conference, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said he welcomed exchanges with China but wondered whether there was goodwill in return from Beijing, given what he described as their blocking of simple things like tourism.

China's culture and tourism ministry said in a short statement that the resumption of group tours from Shanghai, as well as from Fujian province, which sits on the other side of the Taiwan Strait from the island, would happen soon.

It did not, however, give a date for the resumption of travel.

This was being done in order to further promote the normalisation of people-to-people exchanges and "enhance the interests and well-being of compatriots on both sides of the strait," the ministry said.

There was no immediate reaction from Taiwan's government, which rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims over the island.

Taiwan last year raised its travel warning for China, telling its citizens not to go unless absolutely necessary, following a threat from Beijing to execute those deemed "diehard" Taiwan independence supporters.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office said on Friday that Taiwan should cancel that travel warning and fully resume all direct travel links across the strait.

Lai, whom Beijing calls a "separatist", has offered talks with China but has been rejected.

Photo from Reuters