MAC OFFICIAL WELCOMES PRC HIGH-LEVEL VISIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L TAIPEI 004310

SIPDIS

DEPT PASS AIT/W
DEPT FOR EAP/TC
COMMERCE FOR ITA/MAC/ASIA MBMORGAN CABLE BOX 4431

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2015
TAGS: ECON EAIR PREL CH TW
SUBJECT: MAC OFFICIAL WELCOMES PRC HIGH-LEVEL VISIT

REF: TAIPEI 4210

Classified By: Acting AIT Director David J. Keegan, Reason 1.4 d


1. (C) Summary: Mainland Affairs Council Economics Division
Director Fu Don-cheng called the scheduled October 28
arrival of the PRC's China National Tourism Administration
(CNTA) Director General Shao Qiwei "ministerial level," and
the highest level visit of a PRC official to Taiwan. MAC
has publicly welcomed the visit. Fu pointed out that there
would be no scheduled meetings with Taiwan government
officials during the trip, but members of the PRC
delegation might bump into Taiwan officials at some events.
End summary.


2. (C) In an October 20 meeting with AIT/T Economic Section
Chief, MAC Economics Division Director Fu Don-cheng
confirmed reports that the PRC would send a delegation
under the CNTA to visit Taiwan (ref A). Fu said that CNTA
Director General Shao Qiwei will lead the visit, and thus
it will be "ministerial level." He claimed that Shao would
be the highest ranking PRC official to visit Taiwan. The
group will arrive October 28 and stay for 10 days, but its
itinerary had not yet been set. He said Taiwan welcomed
the visit, the purpose of which was to give PRC officials
the chance to view Taiwan's tourist infrastructure. In an
October 21 press release, MAC publicly welcomed the visit.
MAC Vice Chairman Johnnason Liu told the press that this
kind of assessment tour was standard procedure for the PRC
before approving a new territory for tourist travel.


3. (C) The delegation was invited by the Taiwan Visitors
Association (TVA). Fu called TVA a private organization
but commented that it was controlled by the Ministry of
Transportation Affairs. Fu pointed out that no formal
consultations with government or industry organizations
would take place during the visit on the proposal to open
up Taiwan to Mainland tourism. He commented that the PRC
would never agree to formal consultations held in Taiwan.
In a subsequent conversation, Fu added that no meetings
with Taiwan government officials would be scheduled for the
PRC delegation. He noted that this had been a condition
set by the PRC for the visit. However, Fu told us that the
Taiwan side would not rule out the possibility that members
of the PRC delegation would bump into Taiwan government
officials at one or more dinner event scheduled for the
delegation.


4. (C) Fu concurred with industry executives who had told
AIT/T that more substantial progress toward agreements on
the tourism initiative and cross-Strait charter flights is
unlikely before Taiwan's December 3 local elections (ref
A). However, Fu said that he believed there would be
charter flights for the 2006 Lunar New Year. He added that
the restrictions on who is allowed to use the flights might
be relaxed to include Taiwan students in the PRC.
KEEGAN