Most people may recall the media frenzy almost two months ago when the Chinese government allowed the swelling numbers of the nation's big spenders to take trips abroad during the May Day holiday.
Dubbed the "golden week" by some Taiwanese media, the hype has indeed gone through the roof as incredible numbers and figures regarding the spending power of the new wave of Chinese tourists were reported, while camera crews followed tourist groups around wherever they went waiting for a snapshot of their next biggest purchase.
Good news indeed for a country like Taiwan, which has been trying to boost consumption with foreign cash; yet while the numbers excite China's neighbors, how long will the boom last? Has the Chinese government begun to take a more serious look at the ideas of capitalism and free trade?
According to figures released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the National Bureau of Statistics, private and leisure visits abroad by Chinese citizens last year numbered around 25 million, and that figure could rise to some 35 million this year. As the Chinese authorities proudly claimed, China has already become the biggest source of travelers within Asia.
And the "best" is yet to come. The World Tourism Organization recently projected that annual visits abroad by Chinese tourists could reach 100 million within 15 years, more than four times the entire population of Taiwan.
However, this great haul may not be as rosy as it seems. While Western luxury retailers see an exciting new source of custom, most countries see a long list of problems. As one of the two biggest attractions for Chinese tourists besides Taiwan, the US is deeply worried about the potential for illegal immigration, and feels its national security could be severely threatened once easy tourism becomes a convenient disguise for spying and espionage.
Taiwan's troubles appear to be a lot more political in terms of their motivations and ramifications. Beijing has allowed several travel agencies to organize tours to Taiwan, and set up a quota for the selected few that meet its requirements.
In other words, rather than respecting the spirit of free travel, Beijing has resumed its dictatorial role by converting the tourist industry into a monstrous bureaucratic machine, specializing in controlled, well-organized human traffic flows.
It paints a disturbing picture indeed if Beijing could systematically move its people in and out of countries like Taiwan. Quotas then become a dangerous yet implicit leverage tool aimed at furthering China's foreign and economic interests. It is interesting to see how agreements with other EU countries and Canada would turn out as countries line up hoping to grab a piece of the tourist pie. It is important for the world to be aware of the complex political motivations that reside behind China's quotas and charitable favors.
While the Taiwanese media trumpets the economic boost which Chinese tourists have brought to the island, a little reality check is all we need to cool down this fervor. In comparison to the quota of 300,000 Chinese tourists out of a population of 1.2 billion allowed into Taiwan this year, more than 4 million Taiwanese out of 23 million traveled to China last year. So who is doing whom a favor?
James Tu
Taipei
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