Taipei, May 17 (CNA) The majority of Taiwanese citizens traveling in Vietnam have chosen to continue their trips despite expected anti-Chinese protests on Sunday, according to statistics released by the Tourism Bureau.
As of Saturday afternoon, 41 Taiwanese tour groups comprising a total of 847 people were in Vietnam, all in the northern part of the country, the bureau said.
Only one group of five people had cut short their trip and departed Ho Chi Minh City for home Saturday, it said.
Meanwhile, nine groups of 144 people in total left Taiwan for Vietnam Saturday, while two groups comprising 48 people canceled their trips, according to the bureau.
During the next two weeks, 81 groups of 1,907 people in total are scheduled to travel to Vietnam, it said.
Anti-Chinese protests erupted in southern Vietnam earlier this week over a Chinese oil-drilling venture in an area of the South China Sea that Hanoi regards as its exclusive economic zone.
Many Taiwanese and Chinese-owned factories were attacked by rioters after the protests turned violent, sending many Taiwanese nationals fleeing the Southeast Asian country.
In anticipation of anti-Chinese rallies planned for Sunday, Taiwan has issued a "yellow" travel warning for Vietnam.
(By Wang Shu-fen and Y.F. Low)ENDITEM /pc
Related stories:●May 17: Taiwan expands travel warning for Vietnam, makes contingency plans●May 16: Taiwan concerned about possible rallies in Vietnam
(Click here for developments related to the anti-China protest-turned-riot in Vietnam.)
