The Mainland Affairs Council welcomes more media from China to station staff in Taiwan to help improve understanding across the Taiwan Strait, council Vice Chairman You Ying-lung (游盈隆) said.
The council is at present assessing the possibility of allowing Taiwanese press accreditation for the First Financial Daily of Shanghai and the Guangdong Nanfang Daily, You said at a regular press meeting.
Taiwan would like to see more Chinese media stationed here so long as Beijing do not "interfere intentionally," You said.
You reiterated that the council is opening Taiwan's doors wider to more local Chinese media, mainly out of consideration that more and more local media around China have shown dynamism and professionalism since China's opening and reform policies have taken root. Saying that the council's opening policy has no ulterior motives, You added that as long as Beijing does not interfere "on purpose," it will be no problem allowing both central and local-level Chinese media to cover news in Taiwan in the near future.
The council halted press accreditation for China's official Xinhua news agency and People's Daily newspaper in April on the grounds that "their coverage of Taiwan was not conducive to enhancing understanding between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait."
Council Chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said at that time that the purpose of allowing Chinese media organizations to station staff in Taiwan -- a practice that began in 2000 -- was to help the two sides better understand each other.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
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