Chinese mainland pledges to increase tourists to Taiwan

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

TAIPEI, Feb. 26 (Chinese media) -- The Chinese mainland will try to increase the number of mainland tourists to Taiwan in near future, a mainland official said Thursday.

Shao Qiwei, director of the mainland-based Cross-Strait Tourism Communication Association (CSTCA), said newly-accredited travel agencies allowed to sell Taiwan tours on the mainland will start organizing trips to the island starting in March of this year.

A total of 113 agencies were approved by the CSTCA in mid February. Another 33 had prior accreditation.

Addressing the opening of a two-day cross-Straits tourism symposium held in Taipei, Shao said the mainland also welcomed Taiwan tourists to visit the other side of the Straits.

He urged the tourist industry on both sides to take active measures to cut losses inflicted on the industry by the global financial crisis.

Shao suggested increasing tourism advertising, promoting cruise trips and including Hong Kong and Macao in travel routes.

Dai Xiaofeng, an official of CSTCA, said any measure to promote mainland tourists to travel in Taiwan would be encouraged and supported.

"The area opening for tourists would be gradually expanded based on market needs and the operation of the service," Dai said.

The official also pledged to take a pragmatic attitude in solving all problems with service to "foster healthy, orderly and onward development."

"We are glad to see that with the joint efforts of both sides, mainland tourists heading for the island are gradually on the rise. The service has bright prospects."

Since 1987, more than 51 million Taiwanese have made trips to the mainland. In the meantime, more than 1.9 million people from the Chinese mainland have visited Taiwan by the end of last year.

Chinese mainland, Taiwan head for

stronger cultural ties

BEIJING, Feb. 16 -- The significance of the first formal

visit in 60 years by a delegation from Taipei Palace Museum to its counterpart

in Beijing cannot be overestimated.

It marks an important step in cross-Straits cooperation in

cultural fields. This visit makes it possible for 17 cultural relics from the

Palace Museum of the Forbidden City to be exhibited in Taipei. Full story

Mainland offers financing support to Taiwan-funded companies amid

downturn

BEIJING, Feb. 25 (Chinese media) -- The mainland will offer 130

billion yuan (about 19 billion U.S. dollars) worth of financing support over the

next three years to Taiwan-funded companies to help them tide over the economic

downturn, a mainland official told reporters here Wednesday.

Fan Liqing, the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office

spokeswoman, said the funds will be channeled through major banks, such as the

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, which had extended more than 4 billion

yuan in credit to more than 500 Taiwan-funded companies that operate on the

mainland as of January. Full story