Apart from pineapple cakes, facial masks and tea, Taiwan has more to offer to Chinese tourists visiting the nation, an article by the Shanghai-based Jiefang Daily said on Monday.
The author, Zhao Yi (趙毅), said that what made the biggest impression on him during his tour of Taiwan was the “good citizenship” of Taiwanese.
The article, titled “Why I am Touched by Travel Around Taiwan — Chinese Should Learn a Lesson of Citizenship in Taiwan,” was carried by the official daily newspaper of the Shanghai Committee of the Communist Party of China.
It came as Taiwan today marks the 10th anniversary of welcoming Chinese tourists to the nation.
The semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation and China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits signed a tourism agreement on June 13, 2008.
The first group of Chinese tourists arrived in Taiwan on July 4 that year.
Zhao praised the manners of Taiwanese, saying that it is an intangible value that Chinese should learn when they visit Taiwan, instead of simply purchasing local specialties.
Every city he visited and every street he walked during his 10-day trip was clean, Zhao said.
There were no cigarette butts or sputum on the ground, he said, adding that he rarely heard vehicle horns or people talking loudly on the street.
Unlike in China, where people often ignore other pedestrians, Taiwanese respect each other, Zhao said.
On Taipei’s streets, people say “sorry” if they bump into someone, he added.
In convenience stores, clerks receive money and give change to customers with both hands, he said, adding that they politely say “thank you” when exchanging money with customers, who respond in the same manner.
Customers can use restrooms in convenience stores where they can also chat, read newspapers, drink coffee, eat or negotiate deals, he said.
Zhao wrote that a Taiwanese friend of his asked him to put out his cigarette at a public plaza after a meal, showing him a sign that read “smoking prohibited in public squares.”
He also made an observation about romantic relationships in Taiwanese society.
Chinese women usually ask their future husbands for a car, house or other property as a guarantee, Zhao said.
However, he added that his Taiwanese female friends told him that Taiwanese women marry for love, rather than wealth or material benefits.
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
RSS