Taiwan opens up to mainland tourists

Up to 1,000 mainland Chinese tourists a day will be allowed to visit Taiwan from January 1, 2002. The relaxation in policy is to be conducted on a trial basis but was welcomed by the island's tourism industry as long overdue. A ban remains on direct travel between the mainland and Taiwan.

Currently, mainland citizens are only allowed to visit Taiwan to see relatives or as part of official exchanges. Taiwanese authorities still fear that many will not return to the mainland after arriving on the island. However, in Hong Kong where there is also a quota on mainland visitors, there has not been a major 'visa overstay' problem.