China National Tourism Administration Director Shao Qiwei will Lead a Visiting Delegation to Taiwan as the Chairman of China Tourism Association
Upon the invitation of the Taiwan Visitors Association (TVA), Chairman Shao Qiwei of the China Tourism Association (CTA) will lead a visiting delegation to Taiwan on October 28, 2005. Mr. Shao is also the Director of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA). The delegation will inspect Taiwan’s scenic spots and tourist facilities. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) extends its welcome to the visiting delegation.
After several weeks of contacts and arrangements between the TVA and CTA, it has been confirmed that Director Shao Qiwei will lead a visiting delegation to Taiwan on October 28 for a ten-day inspection tour. The delegation will be composed of 66 members, including Zhang Xiqin, Liu Kezhi, Dai Xiaofeng, tourism officials of Chinese provinces and cities, representatives of major travel agencies, as well as reporters. The itinerary arrangements for the delegation will be very simple. It includes mainly visits to tourist spots as well as of inspections of tourist accommodation, dining, and reception facilities.
MAC indicates that the government has approved the application filed by TVA to invite its Chinese counterpart for the simple purpose of an inspection visit. It has been a routine procedure for the Chinese authorities to form a delegation to inspect tourist spots and facilities overseas before allowing their people to travel to new oversea destinations. Since the government has established the policy to allow Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan for the purpose of enhancing positive interactions across the Strait, we welcome the Chinese tourism officials to visit Taiwan for an inspection tour. During the visit of the CTA delegation, if there is any demand from the TVA, the government will offer sufficient assistance and safeguard the delegation’s security.
MAC emphasizes that during the visit to Taiwan by Mr. Shao and other CTA members, their itinerary will only include inspections of the various tourist spots and meetings with representatives from the tourism industry. Their visit will not include non-tourism-related visitations or matters that involve with cross-strait negotiations. MAC reiterates that the government has already authorized the Travel Agent Association of R.O.C. Taiwan to act as the contacting window for negotiations with China on the policy to allow Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan. The related communication and contact will continue to progress and they will not be affected by the visit. MAC indicates that after the CTA delegation has visited Taiwan, it will have a better understanding of the excellent tourist spots and facilities in Taiwan. This will help accelerate the pace of cross-strait communications and negotiations and facilitate immediate implementation of the goodwill policy of allowing Chinese tourists to experience Taiwan’s high-quality tourist spots and facilities.