Thu, Apr 13, 2006 page2

• MAC signals openness to PRC tourists

  POSSIBLE The MAC also dropped a previous condition requiring governmental talks with Beijing before it would allow in Chinese visitors

  • By Chang Yun-ping and Jimmy Chuang / STAFF REPORTERS
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  The government may allow Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan so long as Taiwan and China can agree on measures to execute the policy within six months, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced yesterday.

  "If China releases regulations allowing its citizens to come to Taiwan and the measures are deemed complete and sufficient, we will not rule out partially allowing Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan," MAC Chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said yesterday.

  Wu said if the measures were finalized, the government would allow Chinese tourists to come to Taiwan without government-to-government negotiations.

  The MAC had previously insisted that governmental negotiations between China and Taiwan would be necessary before Taiwan could open the door to Chinese tourists.

  Charter flights

  The MAC yesterday also said the government would open up more cross-strait charter flights both for cargo and personnel within six months, depending on the progress of the negotiations. Wu said it was likely that public holiday flights would soon be introduced as well as charter cargo flights that will fly on a special clearance basis.

  Wu's statements were in line with an announcement by Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday.

  Su said that if Beijing promised to help prevent problems with illegal Chinese immigrants or if measures were in place to address such issues, the government had no problem doing so, but as of now this was impossible.

  The premier made the remarks during an opening speech at yesterday morning's weekly Cabinet meeting.

  Su cited US statistics on illegal Chinese immigrants.

  "The Department of Homeland Security secretary said in March that ... more than 39,000 illegal Chinese immigrants are in the US and that these people have become a serious problem," Su said.

  "China and the US have official diplomatic relations but China ignores this problem created by its own illegal immigrants to the US. Of course we cannot easily lift the ban on them at this moment," he added.

  The premier said that Taiwan was not yet capable of handling problems such as people who overstay their visas. As a result, lifting the ban at this time would create more problems and waste more government money, he said.

  Su said that the problem should be worked out by both governments.

  Su also said it was possible the government could lift bans on direct charter flights across the Taiwan Strait.

  "Under the circumstances of appropriate arrangements and negotiations, I must say, anything is possible," Su said.

  KMT's China visit

  The announcement was considered a preemptive strike by the government ahead of a second meeting between Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) and former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (連戰) tomorrow.

  Beijing is expected to make public rules governing travel by its citizens to Taiwan.

  Wu said "the public's impression has been that the government is responsible for delaying the arrival of the Chinese tourists. By making these announcements, we hope China will be prompted to take more concrete action to realize its policy."

  For your information

  Cross-strait visits

  * The Mainland Affairs Council said the government could open Taiwan to Chinese tourists without first holding government-to-government talks with China. * The council also said the government would open up to cross-strait charter flights within six months, depending on progress made in talks.
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