Representatives of Taipei and Beijing met Feb. 9 in Hong Kong to discuss increasing the number of cities from across the strait participating in Taiwan’s independent mainland Chinese visitor program.
Sources familiar with the matter describe talks between the Taiwan Strait Tourism Association and its mainland China counterpart, the Cross-Strait Tourism Exchange Association, as a significant step in boosting cross-strait cultural exchanges.
The program, which was launched in June 2011, permits a maximum 500 mainland Chinese to enter Taiwan per day for visits of just over a fortnight. Only residents of Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen are eligible under the agreement.
ROC President Ma Ying-jeou announced Feb. 3 that Taiwan was looking to increase the number of cities covered by the program to 11 starting March. Although the eight additions have not been named, sources believe they will be Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing and Tianjin, with the remaining three chosen from Chengdu, Jinan, Shenzhen, Wuhan, and Xi-an.
Sources said the program’s daily cap on visits and length of sojourn are expected to remain unchanged. And although no effective date for the change has been disclosed, they believe it could take place in line with Ma’s envisaged timetable.
Mainland China plays an important role in Taiwan’s tourism industry, accounting for 30 percent of the 6.08 million people visiting the island last year. (JSM)
