Mainland calls for safety guarantees for cross-Straits tourism
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The Chinese mainland's chief negotiator with Taiwan Chen Yunlin on Wednesday called for joint efforts with Taiwan to enhance safety guarantees for cross-Straits tourism.
Chen, president of the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, told the Taiwan Straits Tourism Association (TSTA) delegation, based on the island, that the two sides should learn from last week's train accident in Taiwan, which killed five mainland tourists.
A small train overturned in Taiwan's Ali Mountain area in Chiayi County last Wednesday, injuring more than 100 other mainlanders.
"We have noticed that Taiwan did a lot of work in the rescue and medical treatment efforts as well as looking after the injured and receiving the victims' relatives from the mainland," Chen said.
Calling for enhanced safety guarantees for cross-Strait tourism, Chen said it was of special importance for the tourism sectors from both sides to strengthen exchanges.
Last October, 19 tourists from the southern coastal city of Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, were killed after a landslide hit their bus during a storm in northeast Taiwan.
Janice Seh-jen Lai, chairperson of the TSTA, told Chen during the meeting that Taiwan was very sad about the recent two accidents.
"Taiwan has taken and is taking measures to enhance tourism management work for mainland tourists," Lai said.
The cross-Straits relationship is also on the agenda of the meeting between Chen and the TSTA delegation, which was led by Lai and Kuo Tsai Wen, honorary chairman of the TSTA.
Chen told the delegation that the peaceful development of cross-Straits ties over the past three years had brought unprecedented benefits for compatriots from both sides.
"We hope the two sides will cherish this hard-won fruit and work together to push forward the peaceful growth of cross-Straits ties," he noted.
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