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More officials may visit China soon

The government will soon relax regulations on visits to China by high-level political appointees, certain military personnel and heads of state-owned enterprises, Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) told reporters at a lunch gathering yesterday.

“The National Immigration Office and Mainland Affairs Council [MAC] have reached a consensus on [the relaxations] and they will be implemented soon,” Liu said.

REGULATIONS

Current regulations require such personnel to obtain approval from the MAC before traveling to China.

“Whether or not a permit is given is contingent on the purpose of the visit. We are now revising the regulations in a way that would see more permits granted,” said Liu Te-shun (劉德勳), an MAC vice chairman.

The Regulations for Visits to the Mainland Area by Government Employees and Persons with Special Status in the Taiwan Area (台灣地區公務員及特定身分人員進入大陸地區�?鴘k) stipulate that politically appointed public officials with the central government can only go to China when invited to attend activities held by international organizations or to conduct negotiations in China.

“There are precedents for ministerial-level officials visiting China. For example, Minister of Education Cheng Jei-cheng (鄭瑞城) and Minister without Portfolio Ovid Tseng (曾志朗) both attended the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games,” Liu Te-shun said.

Liu Chao-shiuan said that the officials would be allowed to tour China and conduct many kinds of exchanges with their Chinese counterparts after the revisions come into effect.

NOT FOR EVERYONE

The ban on visits to China by officials will be maintained on personnel whose official business is related to intelligence, national defense or security, as well as those in the high-tech sector.


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