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Cross-strait interaction growing closer

By - 21 April, 2010, 4:44 pm

An earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale struck mainland China’s Qinghai Province on April 15, incurring heavy casualties and severe damage to buildings. ROC President Ma Ying-jeou and Premier Wu Den-yih immediately extended their condolences to disaster victims and expressed willingness to provide assistance.

Carrying with them 1,000 kilograms of medical supplies, a 20-member medical team organized by the ROC Red Cross Society departed for Qinghai on April 18 to care for victims of the quake. Additionally, the society contributed US$100,000 to the relief effort and launched a donation drive. Taiwan-based enterprises, including Uni-President and Taiwan Cement, have hastened to make contributions.

Meanwhile, in hopes of stimulating the development of travel industries on either side of the strait, following a year of negotiations and preparations, the ROC’s Taiwan Strait Tourism Association (TSTA) and the mainland’s Cross-Strait Tourism Exchange Association (CTEA) have reached an agreement to establish tourism representative offices in Beijing and Taipei. Dedication ceremonies for the offices will be held in the two cities, respectively, on May 4 and May 7.

The TSTA-CTEA negotiations were undertaken pursuant to the Cross-Strait Agreement Signed Between SEF and ARATS Concerning Mainland Tourists Traveling to Taiwan previously inked by Taiwan’s semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation and its mainland Chinese counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, with the aim of providing travelers with efficient, convenient and effective service.

When the Executive Yuan announced on October 23, 2009 its decision to set up a tourism representative office in Beijing, Premier Wu Den-yih said the action was of great significance and expressed hopes of promoting tourism in Taiwan under the principle of putting Taiwan first for the benefit of the people. Further, he indicated the central government’s willingness to help local governments’ tourism bureaus conduct tourism shows in the mainland.

Please visit Taiwan Today for related stories:

Taiwan’s quake rescue team arrives in Qinghai (April 19,2010)
http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=99443&CtNode=436

Cross-strait tourism offices to open in April (Feb. 26, 2010)
http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=95006&CtNode=436
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