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Mainland Allows Tourists to Taiwan

2005-5-21 22:25:57 CRIENGLISH.com

Beijing has lifted a decades-old ban on mainland residents visiting Taiwan. The tourism authority says the mainland is ready to take concrete steps to encourage and organise such visits.

Related Event: Peaceful Reunification

Beijing has lifted a decades-old ban on mainland residents visiting Taiwan. The tourism authority says the mainland is ready to take concrete steps to encourage and organise such visits.

The move has won applause from people across the strait.

CRI's Na Lan reports.

Zhang Jianzhong, spokesman for China's National Tourism Administration said in a press conference in Beijing that the mainland has long maintained the policy that the mainland and Taiwan should strengthen exchanges.

He said the mainland is now ready to allow tourists to visit Taiwan and it is the Taiwan authorities that have set many of the limitations on such tourism.

"We hope the Taiwan authorities will follow people's wishes and the current trend and grant Taiwan travel agencies the right to discuss with the mainland on the details of such trips as soon as possible."

While some of the Taiwan departments concerned say that Taiwan could allow around 1,000 mainland tourists to enter the province each day, Zhang Jianzhong said the figure should be decided by both sides after further discussion.

The mainland has had tight restrictions on its people visiting Taiwan since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. While, since the 1980s, more mainland residents have been able to travel there on business.

Tourist groups in Taiwan welcomes the mainlan's move on the issue.

Zeng Shenghai is the head of the Taipei Association of Travel Agents.

"If 300,000 mainland tourists are allowed to come each year, the economic revenue for Taiwan will grow by 1.6 billion US dollars."

Chinese tourists are also excited and hope to be able to visit the island province as soon as possible.

"We have heard about our beautiful island of Taiwan since childhood. We can't wait to visit it. I hope the discussion process for the service will speed up so that we can go to the island and have a look at how our compatriots live there."

Currently, almost every travel agency in Beijing offers travel itineraries to Taiwan. The travel packages are usually for a seven-day round-island trip.

Now, insiders say it is up to the Taiwan side to decide whether to loosen restrictions.

Na Lan, CRI news.

Talk China

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