Preparations for the resumption of group tour services to the Taiwan region for residents of Fujian Province and Shanghai Municipality are well underway with tourism operators across the Strait striving to plan new routes and provide quality services.
The Chinese mainland will soon resume group tour services to the Taiwan region for residents of Fujian and Shanghai after five years of disruption, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced on Friday.
Many industry insiders in Fujian believe that the proximity of the province to the Taiwan regio provides a special edge for the resumption of group tours.
"As traveling to Taiwan is relatively an important, major business sector of our company, we have communicated with the travel agencies in Taiwan and will introduce some high-quality routes that are more suitable for residents of Fujian and Shanghai," said Zhou Yuqing, deputy general manager of Fuzhou Donkey Mother International Travel Service Co. Ltd.
In Shanghai, where connections with Taiwan have remained closer, local tourism operators are eager for the revival of group tours.
"During our holidays every year, such as the Spring Festival and the National Day, many residents and tourists will ask when they can travel to Taiwan, which shows that this destination is highly anticipated and desired by them," said Zhou Weihong, director of Shanghai Spring International Travel Service Co., Ltd.
Experts suggest that while such development brings benefits to both sides, a full recovery in cross-strait tourism requires the Taiwan authorities to give a positive response to the mainland's announcement, and quickly lift the ban on group tour services at an early date.
"For the tourism sector in Taiwan, the mainland market used to be its largest market and the market with the highest output value. In the past two years, Taiwan's tourism sector, whether in terms of the number of inbound and outbound tourists or the industry in general, has been in a deficit state. The biggest reason for this is the dramatic drop in the number of mainland tourists," said Hu Yong, associate professor at Shanghai University of International Business and Economics.
"We also hope that the Taiwan authorities will face up to the mainstream public opinion and the calls from the industry on the island, lift the 'ban on group tours' as soon as possible, remove travel warnings for visits to the mainland, and fully resume direct passenger flights between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to create favorable conditions for personnel exchanges and exchanges in various fields between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait," said Su Meixiang, director of the Institute of Modern Taiwan at the Fujian Academy of Social Sciences.
Preparations for resumption of group tour services to Taiwan well underway
China is ready to work with Argentina to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and bring the bilateral relations to a new level, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.
This will benefit the people of the two countries and help China and Latin America achieve common development and prosperity, Wang said. He made the remarks during a meeting with his Argentine counterpart Gerardo Werthein on the sidelines of the ongoing Munich Security Conference.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the Chinese and Argentine people have enjoyed a long-standing friendship, and China-Argentina cooperation is equal and mutually beneficial.
Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Argentine President Javier Milei held a meeting and reached important consensus on consolidating and developing bilateral relations, said Wang.
China is willing to work with Argentina to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and strengthen exchanges at the high level and in all fields, so as to bring the bilateral relations to a new level and better benefit the people of both countries, he said.
Wang also said the two sides should continue to respect and accommodate each other's core interests and major concerns, and continuously consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations.
Wang pointed out that China does not seek spheres of influence, nor does it participate in geopolitical competition. In international affairs, China firmly practices multilateralism and is willing to work with Latin American countries, including Argentina, to firmly safeguard the international rule of law and the basic norms of international relations, he said.
Wang noted that China-Argentina relations are an important part of China-Latin America relations. Over the past decade since its establishment, the China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Forum has effectively promoted China-Latin America cooperation and brought tangible benefits to the people of both sides, he said.
China is willing to work with Latin American countries to support the development and growth of the China-CELAC Forum, helping China and Latin America achieve common development and prosperity, said Wang.
Werthein said that Argentina attaches great importance to its relations with China, and looks forward to strengthening high-level exchanges and deepening pragmatic cooperation with China.
Noting that Argentina appreciates China's support for Argentina's defense of its sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands, Werthein said Argentina firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is willing to become a reliable and stable cooperative partner of China.
Werthein also said that Argentina will play an active role in promoting the development of Latin America-China relations on the basis of strengthening bilateral relations.
China ready to push ties with Argentina to higher level: FM