Safety concerns will need to be addressed before reviving tourism between Taiwan and China. That’s according to Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Tai-san (邱太三) on Wednesday when questioned at the Legislature.
Chiu says China is currently unwilling to have a conversation with Taiwan to address safety concerns. The comment comes after China arrested Taiwanese activist Yang Chih-yuan (楊智淵) last August. He says China continues to arbitrarily arrest Taiwanese people, which violates their rights and interests, and damages cross-strait relations.
Chiu says if cross-strait tensions continue to rise, the council will have to reevaluate safety guidelines for tourism. He says China justifying their arrests with national security concerns creates travel risks for Taiwanese people.
Chiu is concerned about the possibility of China detaining Taiwanese tourists without notifying authorities in Taiwan. He says if the opposite situation occurred in Taiwan, it would not be tolerated by the Chinese government.