Chinese visitors will soon be eligible for landing visas valid for entry into the Taiwanese islands of Kinmen, Penghu and Matsu. Taiwan will begin issuing the visas starting January 1 next year. That’s the word from the Interior Ministry on Wednesday.
The ministry said the new measure is expected to bring more visitors and investment to Taiwan's outlying islands. Ferry services between the Taiwan-controlled islands and ports in China’s Fujian Province are called “mini-links.” Passenger arrivals through the mini-links hit 985,000 in the first eight months of 2014. Since the mini-links opened in 1999, the number of arrivals has surpassed 2.21 million.
The ministry estimates that more than 70,000 Chinese visitors will benefit from the new measure, but the application fee will be tripled to NT$600 (US$20) because of the extra manpower and resources involved.