Beijing simplified the exit and entry rules for Taiwan residents
at the weekend and urged the Taiwan authorities to adopt more
tangible measures to facilitate its fruit exports to the
mainland.
As of Monday, Taiwan residents can be granted multiple entry and
exit permits, valid for one to five years, thereby foregoing the
need for them to obtain separate residence permits, China Central
Television reported the Public Security Ministry as saying.
Under previous rules, Taiwan residents had to apply for multiple
entry and exit permits and residence permits separately. Family
members of Taiwan businessmen who often travel between Taiwan and
the mainland were only granted 3-month traveling permits. This
proved highly inconvenient in many cases.
Between 1987 and December last year, the mainland received
nearly 34 million visitors from Taiwan.
In Shanghai, for example, there are about 300,000 Taiwan
businesspeople and their dependents.
In another development, the mainland has asked Taiwan
authorities for more tangible measures relating to fruit exports.
Li Shuilin, chairman with the Cross-Straits Association for
Economic and Trade Exchanges, said at the weekend: "We hope that
for the sake of the fruit farmers in Taiwan, the Taiwan agencies in
charge will not lay down artificial obstacles (in its fruit trade
with the mainland)."
In May, Beijing announced that it would improve access to
mainland markets for fruit from Taiwan, increasing imports from 12
to 18 categories, and agreed to lift the tariffs on at least 15 of
them.
"As a favorable unilateral policy launched by the mainland, the
tariff-free treatment should not meet additional obstacles in
implementation," Li said.
He urged the Taiwan authorities to move forward as soon as
possible because the midseason for the sale of fruits from Taiwan
is fast approaching and Taiwanese fruit farmers are eagerly
awaiting these changes in policy.
Meanwhile, Li said representatives from local Taiwan
institutions appointed by the Taiwan authorities and members of the
association of Taiwanese fruit growers are welcome to participate
in further consultations on the zero-tariff policies on July
27.
(China Daily July 25, 2005)