CNA file photo

Taipei, Dec. 10 (CNA) Chinese visitors to Taiwan's outlying islands will no longer have to apply for travel permits in advance starting Jan. 1 next year, in a campaign aimed at promoting tourism in those areas, the Interior Ministry announced Wednesday.

Instead, Chinese visitors can obtain a permit upon arrival, each costing NT$600 (US$20), in Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, said Deputy Interior Minister Chen Chwen-jing.

Those who intend to proceed to Taiwan proper will still have to apply for the relevant travel documents, Chen said, adding that the new policy is aimed at making travel between two sides of the Taiwan Strait more convenient.

In the absence of formal ties between the two sides, Taiwan and China issue permits rather than visas for travel by their respective citizens to each other's territories.

(By Tang Pei-chun and Lee Hsin-Yin)
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