Beijing simplified the exit and entry rules for Taiwan residents at the weekend and urged the Taiwan authorities to adopt more tangible measures to facilitate its fruit exports to the mainland.

As of Monday, Taiwan residents can be granted multiple entry and exit permits, valid for one to five years, thereby foregoing the need for them to obtain separate residence permits, China Central Television reported the Public Security Ministry as saying.

Under previous rules, Taiwan residents had to apply for multiple entry and exit permits and residence permits separately. Family members of Taiwan businessmen who often travel between Taiwan and the mainland were only granted 3-month traveling permits. This proved highly inconvenient in many cases.

Between 1987 and December last year, the mainland received nearly 34 million visitors from Taiwan.

In Shanghai, for example, there are about 300,000 Taiwan businesspeople and their dependents.  

In another development, the mainland has asked Taiwan authorities for more tangible measures relating to fruit exports. Li Shuilin, chairman with the Cross-Straits Association for Economic and Trade Exchanges, said at the weekend: "We hope that for the sake of the fruit farmers in Taiwan, the Taiwan agencies in charge will not lay down artificial obstacles (in its fruit trade with the mainland)."

In May, Beijing announced that it would improve access to mainland markets for fruit from Taiwan, increasing imports from 12 to 18 categories, and agreed to lift the tariffs on at least 15 of them.

"As a favorable unilateral policy launched by the mainland, the tariff-free treatment should not meet additional obstacles in implementation," Li said.

He urged the Taiwan authorities to move forward as soon as possible because the midseason for the sale of fruits from Taiwan is fast approaching and Taiwanese fruit farmers are eagerly awaiting these changes in policy.

Meanwhile, Li said representatives from local Taiwan institutions appointed by the Taiwan authorities and members of the association of Taiwanese fruit growers are welcome to participate in further consultations on the zero-tariff policies on July 27.

(China Daily July 25, 2005)