Taiwan to allow more individual Chinese tourists to visit islets

Jul 27, 2011, 6:14 GMT

Taipei - Taiwan is to allow Chinese citizens from the mainland province of Fujian to visit three offshore islands, including two former defence outposts, officials said Wednesday.

The deal, to start Friday, marks another step in warming cross-Strait ties since President Ma Ying-jeou took office with a pledge to engage China in 2008.

'Our two sides have reached agreement recently to allow residents from Fujian to apply for individual travel to Kinmen, Matsu and Penghui,' the Straits Exchange Foundation said Wednesday.

The foundation, a government proxy set up to talk with China because Taiwan has no formal diplomatic relations with its neighbour, said visitors would be allowed to stay up to 15 days on any of the three offshore islands. Kinmen and Matsu are former defence outposts.

The new rules come a month after Taiwan eased travel restrictions to allow solo Chinese tourists from Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen to visit Taiwan.

After years of banning mainland visitors, Tawian began accepting organised tour groups from China in 2008.

Read more about China