Official with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council
revealed on Wednesday that people traveling between Chinese
mainland and Taiwan have reached 2.3 million person-times in the
first six months.
Dai Xiaofeng, director of communication bureau of the office,
told Xinhua that admission to the mainland from Taiwan have
accounted for 2.2 million person-times, an increase of 5.4 percent
year-on-year.
Mainland citizen's entry to the island has also reached a
year-on-year increase of 10.7 percent with 1.01 million
person-times, Dai added.
According to an accumulative statistic of the office, entries to
the both sides across the Taiwan Straits have achieved increase in
consecutive four years since SARS crisis in 2003.
The director said the mainland hoped Taiwan authority could
permit tourism entry for mainland citizens to the island as soon as
possible.
"Compatriots on both sides are eager to realize tourism entry to
Taiwan," he said, noting that tourism guilds on both sides have
hold five consultations since last year to discuss details of
tourism to Taiwan.
Closer communication across the strait have allowed people on
both sides to make more progress by cooperation in education,
cultural exchange, technology, health, religion and other
fields.
Nearly one hundred mainland colleges and universities have
signed cooperative contracts with Taiwan educational partners,
students in Taiwan have shown more interests to apply for mainland
colleges.
Health authorities of the mainland and Taiwan have exchanged
information on epidemic situations for 23 times since disease
control departments of the both sides established a communicating
channel last year.
Moreover, the mainland has established 54 measures favorable to
Taiwan in cross-strait communication in education, entry and other
citizen treatment since 2005, said Dai.
Ministry of Public Security increased three entry ports in the
mainland for Taiwan citizen's entry and Ministry of Personnel
allowed Taiwan citizens to apply for 15 professional qualifying
examinations at the end of April.
"Since citizens on both sides have more and more contacts, the
mainland is trying to meet the needs of Taiwan compatriots to have
mainland citizen treatment," Dai said.
According to statistic from the mainland, there have been
270,000 cross-strait marriage couples. However, spouses coming from
the mainland have encountered with limited working rights by
discriminated regulations in Taiwan.
To facilitate Taiwan student's study in mainland universities
and colleges, the Ministry of Education has unilaterally recognized
diploma and certificate issued by educational institutes in Taiwan
and equalize the tuition fees among mainland and Taiwan
students.
The mainland and Taiwan have also made progress in cooperation
of cracking down on crimes in which mainland police forces have
repatriated more than 10 Taiwan suspects to the island.
(Xinhua News Agency September 6, 2007)