The head of China's National Tourism Administration (NTA) Friday led a high-power delegation to Taiwan to pave the way for Chinese tourists making pleasure trips to the island, dpa reported today. "The purpose of our visit is mainly to survey the various sightseeing spots in Taiwan, and to understand the tourist reception and other arrangements here," said NTA Director Shao Qiwei, upon his arrival at Taiwan's international airport. He said the survey will take into account the local culture, history, religion and tourism quality. He said he believes the 10-day trip of his group will be successful. Shao's 66-member delegation, made up of heads of China's provincial and municipal tourism bureaus and travel agencies, was given an enthusiastic welcome at the airport by its host Taiwan Visitors Association (TVA) and other civilian tourist bodies. The delegation visit represents huge potential profits if China allows its tourists to visit Taiwan. China, a rival of Taiwan since the two sides split at the end of a civil war in 1949, currently bans its citizens from making sightseeing trips to the island. To play down the political sensitivity of Shao's trip, both the civilian TVA and the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), Taiwan's top China policy planner, emphasized that the visitors will have no official contacts during their stay on the island. "We have no plans to arrange any official meetings with the Chinese group," said MAC Vice Chairman Liu Te-hsuan, who nonetheless welcomed Shao's visit. --more 1322 Local Time 1022 GMT
