A senior Chinese tourism official arrived in Taipei yesterday, kicking off a 10-day tour that could go a long way toward reviving the nation's beleaguered tourism sector and easing cross-strait tensions.
Shao Qiwei (
Mainland Affairs Council Vice Chairman Johnnason Liu (
Speaking at a weekly news briefing, Liu explained that the purpose of Shao's visit was purely to gain an understanding of Taiwan's tourist spots and relevant facilities, and he urged everyone to respect the purpose of his visit and not to interfere.
While in Taiwan, Shao will only meet representatives from the tourism industry and will not touch on issues related to cross-strait negotiations, Liu said, noting that the Chinese tourism official's visit is a requirement of the Chinese government before it decides to allow its people to sightsee in Taiwan.
He also urged Beijing to speed up its pace in related preparations and pointed out that China is yet to add Taiwan to its overseas tourist destination list.
Taiwan is poised to open up further to tourists from China after beginning to do so on a trial basis in 2002, he said.
Taiwan Visitors' Association president S.L. Chang (
Tourism Bureau Director-General Hsu Wen-sheng (
Shao said he hoped to personally feel and experience the atmosphere and attractions of Taiwan, such as its historic and cultural relics and religious activities, during his visit.
Shao's 66-member delegation is composed of provincial tourism officials, reporters and industry executives.
Shao was invited by Chang to visit Taiwan in his capacity as Chinese National Travel Association president in a bid to make the visit "private" in nature.
Meanwhile, Minister of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) Lin Ling-san (
Lin welcomed Shao's visit and expressed the hope that he will be able to gain a detailed understanding of present-day Taiwan.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious
RSS