Sun, Aug 11, 2024 page3

• Taiwan News Quick Take

  • Staff writer, with agencies
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  TRAVEL

  Matsu reopens to tourists

  Taiwan’s Matsu Islands on Friday welcomed the first post-COVID-19 tour group from China, following an announcement from Chinese authorities in April allowing residents from Fujian Province to travel to Matsu. The seven-member group is scheduled to spend three days visiting major tourist spots on the islands, Matsu Longfu Travel Agency said. The tourists have backgrounds in industries such as trade and tourism, it said, adding that other than sightseeing, the visitors are also hoping to explore cross- strait business opportunities. Beijing announced the eased travel restrictions on April 28, which it said would take effect once the direct ferries between Matsu and Pingtan County in Fujian resume. Travel links between Taiwan and China have been largely frozen for the past three years, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. China halted independent travel to Taiwan on Aug. 1, 2019, citing poor cross-strait relations. It suspended group travel to Taiwan in 2020. The Mainland Affairs Council said the tour group is the only group to have submitted a travel application. The council said it was happy to see the arrival of Chinese tourists and welcomed more Chinese to visit Matsu and Kinmen islands.

  CRIME

  Officer drowns in river

  A sergeant major stationed at the National Defense University was found to have drowned near Guandu Bridge in New Taipei City yesterday morning. The officer, surnamed Lu (呂), was spotted in the Tamsui River by a civilian. He had no vital signs when police and medical personnel arrived at the scene, the university said. Lu drove to Guandu on Friday and a vehicle parked near the bridge was confirmed by his wife to be his, a source in the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said. The police are investigating Lu’s death. Should they determine that Lu died in an accident or from an illness, his family would receive a consolation payment. Under the Indemnities Act for Military Personnel, officers who commit suicide are categorized as having died from an illness and their families are entitled to a consolation payment. However, families of military personnel who commit suicide after a crime would not be entitled to any consolation payment.

  SOCIETY

  Teaching program wraps up

  More than 500 young people from 22 countries completed a month-long English teaching program in Taiwan earlier this month, during which they built connections with Taiwanese culture and helped teach students. The program recruited 502 volunteers, aged 17 to 25, who taught English in more than 80 elementary and junior high schools around Taiwan, the Overseas Community Affairs Council said. Sasha Erenburg from London said she had wanted to come to Taiwan to learn about the culture, because her Mandarin teacher is Taiwanese. Meanwhile, Sydney Lee, a 19-year-old from California said she liked the bus rides and seeing how different the scenery was from the US. Maljeveljeve Tiudjalimaw, an official at the Council of Indigenous Peoples, said three volunteer teams served in indigenous communities in Hualien, Taichung and Pingtung. She added that some children now aspire to study abroad following the experience. Council head Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) thanked participants for helping Taiwanese children gain a broader worldview. The council’s English teaching program has been held annually since 2006, and more than 7,000 “overseas youth” have been recruited to help teach English to Taiwanese children.
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