Chinese media outlets are saying that China should put pressure on Taiwan to deal with the aftermath of a recent bus accident responsibly. On Tuesday, 24 Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan died when their tour bus caught fire as it traveled to the airport.
A commentary in the Chinese state paper Huangqiu Times said that the frequency of tragedies involving Chinese tourists in Taiwan has left a deep impression on the Chinese people. Other destinations like Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan do not have these serious problems, the paper said. It said that if Taiwan does not seriously reflect on its safety problems and resolve them, Chinese tourists will be risking their lives by coming to Taiwan. Reducing the number of tourists to Taiwan will be a natural consequence.
Since Taiwan opened up to Chinese tourists in 2008, there have been nine accidents involving buses carrying Chinese tourists, one train accident, and one plane crash. These have led to 81 Chinese deaths and 159 injuries.
The article said it is hard to understand why Taiwan’s tourism industry can let these tragedies continue to happen. The article said that is easy for anyone to rent a bus or vehicle in Taiwan, and that the quality of these vehicles and their drivers are not guaranteed.
The commentary said that Taiwan is a rich and developed society, but there is a major problem in its tourism industry. The article also said that Taiwan must be responsible and compensate victims’ families.