The Lunar New Year holiday is just around the corner. Taiwanese from the islands of Kinmen and Mazu may be eager to return to their homes for the holidays. But reopening to China has been somewhat controversial.
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Debate continues as to when and how travel connections between Taiwan’s outlying islands and China’s Fujian province, known as the “Three Mini Links,” will be reopened. This is especially true because the Lunar New Year holiday is just over a month away.
Kinmen County legislator Chen Yu-chen (陳玉珍) has expressed concern that delaying a decision makes things difficult, especially for people returning to Kinmen for the Lunar New Year. Head of the National Security Council Wellington Koo (顧立雄) stated that a decision will definitely be made before the holiday. However, there have been concerns about reopening the links with China.
Central Epidemic Command Center leader Victor Wang (王必勝) said that it is very difficult to assess the epidemic situation in China, and how it will impact the outlying islands. He cautioned that it would be best to open the links in stages in order to maximize safety and control any outbreaks.
Some experts have suggested that the islands should first open to those with Taiwanese nationality. Whatever the decision, everyone is hoping that Lunar New Year celebrations will be safe.