Taiwan and China have begun discussions about the possibility of allowing Chinese tourists to stop over in Taiwan before flying on to another country. That’s the word from the Taipei-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Thursday.
The SEF is a semi-official organization in charge of cross-strait exchanges in the absence of official ties between the two sides.
The SEF and its Chinese counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, discussed the matter in Beijing on Wednesday.
During the talks, the two sides agreed to hold further consultations. The SEF also called on China to come up with a feasibility plan as soon as possible.
In a news release, the SEF said allowing Chinese tourists to make connections in Taiwan will help promote civilian exchanges and improve cross-strait ties. China, however, has been reluctant to allow its nationals to make layovers in Taiwan because China considers Taiwan part of its territory. Chinese tourists use a special document to enter Taiwan in lieu of a passport.