Chinese official mum on request for partial lifting of travel ban

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/08/12
By: Miao Zong-han and Joseph Yeh

Beijing, Aug. 12 (CNA) A Chinese official in charge of Taiwan affairs was non-committal on whether China will partially lift a ban on travel to Taiwan by independent travelers after being urged to do so by the heads of Taiwan's three offshore counties.

The appeal was made by Kinmen County chief Yang Cheng-wu (楊鎮浯), Penghu County chief Lai Feng-wei (賴峰偉), and Lienchiang County chief Liu Cheng-ying (劉增應), all of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), during a meeting with Liu Jieyi (劉結一), director of China's Taiwan Affairs Office.

They asked Beijing to exempt their island counties from a recent ban on individual travel (not as part of a tour group) by Chinese nationals to Taiwan, which took effect Aug. 1.

Lai told Taiwanese reporters after the meeting that Liu was non-committal, saying only that China will consider their request.    [FULL  STORY]