KMT delegates visit MAC on eve of new China trip

Whatever helps to promote tourism in Taiwan to the Chinese people -- one of the government's cross-strait policies -- will be encouraged, senior Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) officials said yesterday, one day before a group of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) representatives leaves for China.

On the eve of their departure to push for Taiwan's opening to Chinese tourists, KMT Policy Committee convener Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) and KMT Legislator John Chiang (蔣孝嚴) visited the council's top officials to exchange opinions about the issue of opening Taiwan up to Chinese tourists.

BEIJING MEETING

A KMT group, which will include the director of the party's mainland affairs department, Chang Jung-kung (張榮恭), is scheduled to meet with Chinese government agencies in charge of tourism and Taiwan Affairs Office Director Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) in Beijing tomorrow.

Earlier yesterday, at a press conference at the Legislative Yuan, Tseng called on the council to send high-ranking officials to Beijing with his group.

MAC officials, however, declined to respond to the request.

GOVERNMENT POLICY

MAC Deputy Chairman Johnnason Liu (劉德勳) said that the government has been promoting opening up Taiwan to Chinese tourists.

"The government will keep encouraging things, which will lead to positive promotion of Taiwan's tourism to Chinese tourists," Liu told Tseng and Chiang.

According to Tseng, the KMT wants to gain a better understanding of Beijing's views on the tourism issue.

The delegation also wants to help explore the feasibility of allowing Chinese tourists to come to Taiwan for the mutual benefit both sides.

ECONOMIC BOOST

Saying that opening up Taiwan to Chinese tourists could generate at least NT$50 billion (US$1.49 billion) in tourist dollars and business opportunities worth more than NT$100 billion, Tseng said such a move was the right way to revive Taiwan's economy.

During its visit the KMT group also hopes to promote charter flights across the Taiwan Strait for tourists to facilitate two-way tourist exchanges.