Chinese delegation visits tourist spots

This article was written by Shih Ying-ying and published by the Taiwan Journal on November 4, 2005. It reports that a 66-member delegation from China recently arrived at Taiwan to begin a 10-day trip around Taiwan's famous scenic spots.

The delegation was led by Shao Qiwei, head of China's State Administration of Tourism. He was invited by the Taiwan Visitors Association to evaluate the possibility of Taiwan being included in Beijing's list of approved tourist destinations for selected Chinese citizens. Currently the Chinese government forbids its citizens from traveling overseas except to officially sanctioned destinations.

The delegation was composed of China's provincial tourism officials, reporters and industry executives. They were scheduled to visit Taiwan's National Palace Museum, Yangmingshan National Park, Kenting National Park, Taroko Gorge and other famous scenic spots.

Taiwan began to allow Chinese tourists on a trial basis in 2002. Chinese citizens with residence permits from third countries, such as the United States and Canada, are allowed to enter Taiwan for up to 15 days and only in tightly controlled tour groups. At that year, a reported 2,151 Chinese visitors came to Taiwan. That number jumped to 19,150 in 2004. About 14,000 Chinese visitors arrived in Taiwan in the first six months of 2005.

More detailed arguments on the pros and cons of allowing more Chinese tourists to enter Taiwan are provided in this article.