Chinese travelers accounted for 28 percent of tourist arrivals to Taiwan in the first six months of this year, according to National Immigration Agency statistics. More than half of those visits were by individual travelers, who contribute more per capita to Taiwan’s economy than those visiting on Chinese tour group packages.

Before Ms. Tsai’s inauguration in May 2016, China limited group tours to Taiwan, which many observers saw as an attempt to pressure Ms. Tsai into accepting the so-called 1992 Consensus, which posits that China and Taiwan are both part of one country. In her inaugural speech, Ms. Tsai called for dialogue but did not endorse the consensus. Beijing cut off official communications with her government shortly afterward.

Taiwan is preparing for a general election in January, when both the presidency and the legislature are up for grabs.

Ms. Tsai’s governing Democratic Progressive Party embraces a Taiwanese identity and close ties with the United States, Japan and other democracies. The opposition Kuomintang, which has in recent years become increasingly close to China’s Communist Party, is pushing for warmer ties with Beijing.

The Kuomintang’s presidential candidate, Han Kuo-yu, who was officially nominated this weekend, visited China this year and met with the Communist official in charge of Taiwan policy. He also met with the director of China’s Central Liaison Office in Hong Kong, who oversees the “one country, two systems” arrangement that sets out a high degree of autonomy for the territory.