Print

Mail

wiki links

Red Cross delegation visits China via Kinmen

A delegation of senior executives of local chapters of the Red Cross Society traveled to China via Kinmen yesterday for a five-day visit.

This marked the first time that presidents and vice presidents of this country's Red Cross Society chapters have traveled to China via Kinmen since direct shipping services between Kinmen and Xiamen were opened in January 2001.

Lee Tseng-feng (李增豐), leader of the delegation, said the visit is mainly aimed at promoting cross-strait cooperation in humanitarian relief aid.

The 26-member delegation will visit Red Cross Society chapters in eight major cities in Fujian Province, including Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Nanan, Fuzhou, Zhangzhou and Lunghai.

"We'll exchange views with their senior executives on humanitarian relief operations and feasible measures to boost bilateral cooperation in relevant fields," Lee said.

Meanwhile, 12 board members of the Kinmen chapter of the Red Cross Society also traveled with Lee's mission. They said they will take advantage of the visit to explore the feasibility of using private ferry boats to repatriate illegal migrants.

Illegal Chinese immigrants usually have to stay for a long period of time at special detention centers before Chinese authorities send vessels to take them back home, resulting in a greater financial burden for the government.

Since the police and coast guard authorities launched a campaign against human smuggling late last year, a large number of illegal immigrants have been detained in the past few months. As a result, the detention centers in Hsinchu, Ilan and Matsu are holding more than 2,500 detainees. At the Hsinchu detention center alone, there are more than 30 pregnant women and 12 young children.

China has not sent any vessel to repatriate the detainees for the past three months.

Coast guard officials said they hope the Mainland Affairs Council and the Straits Exchange Foundation can push it to take back all illegal immigrants before the Dragon Boat Festival on June 22.
This story has been viewed 2100 times.