File photo: Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn] China resolutely opposes the US having any official or military interactions with the Taiwan region, a mainland spokesman said on Wednesday. Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson with the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the comment at a news conference in response to the American Institute in Taiwan recently acknowledging military staff has been posted at its Taiwan office since 2005, as well as that US weapons manufacturer Raytheon granted a $9 million contract to upgrade Taiwan's Patriot missile defense system. We resolutely oppose any official interaction or military dialogue between the US and the Taiwan region, Ma said, adding the US side should keep its promise and correct its mistakes. The US should handle the Taiwan question carefully and properly, so as not to damage Sino-US ties as well as the peace and security in the Taiwan Straits, Ma said. On March 31, two Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force Shenyang J-11 fighter jets flew across the so-called median line of the Taiwan Straits, prompting a strong reaction by Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen. She responded by vowing a forceful expulsion of Chinese fighters should they cross the line again. Ma said the fly-by is part of the PLA's planned routine exercise this year. There is only one China in the world, and both the mainland and Taiwan belong to the same China, he said. Protecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity has been the sacred duty of the PLA, and it is in the interest of people from both sides of the straits. Opposing Taiwan secession is also the joint responsibility for people from both sides, Ma said. Tsai's wild talk means she is scared. We warn them not to play with fire. Don't even think about it. wristbands for eventscheap silicone wristbands for fundraisingsilicone wristband manufacturersilicone wristband makerbracelets for a cause
Border control officers process Taiwan residents' travel permits in a special channel on Wednesday at Pingtan's Aoqian Port. Zhang Yi/China Daily Pingtan, an island situated off the east coast of Fujian offers easy entry for Taiwan residents who take ships to the mainland. The local public security department and border control patrol jointly opened up a special channel on Wednesday for Taiwan residents to get travel permits at Pingtan's Aoqian Port. Since 2011, when a direct sea route between Pingtan and Taiwan was opened, two ships - CSF and Natchan Rera Cruise - regularly make ferry runs from Pingtan to Taipei and Taichung, Taiwan. Taiwan residents who take the ships and enter the mainland through the port need travel permits issued by mainland public security officials, and they can apply for the permits at the port. Before, they had to line up twice - first for the certificate application and then for identification checks. When there are many passengers, the waiting time is longer, said Yuan Tao, a border inspector. As more residents from Taiwan come to the mainland through this port, the service will be needed more. To reduce wait times, the two departments launched a special channel for Taiwan residents, combining the procedures of application, fee payment, permit issuance and inspection at a single window. They only need to wait in line once, which saves about 20 minutes for those applying for permits at the port, he said. On Thursday night, a ship with more than 200 passengers left Taichung for Pingtan, including 30 passengers from Taiwan who were visiting the mainland for the first time. All of them planned to apply for travel permits at the port. Among them was Yeh Chen-li from Yunlin county, who planned to stay for four days. I finished the application form on board and handed it in at the border control window when I arrived at the terminal, Yeh said. It took about 10 minutes to get my permit, much faster than I expected. Yuan Hsiung-wei, a tour guide who took a group to the mainland from Taipei, said, There is a bigger chance for more tours as more exchanges take place. The trip takes only about three hours by ship, so many people will want to have a look of the mainland. Wei Li is a frequent visitor. She said she will open a shop in Pingtan to sell products from Taiwan. The transportation for people and goods is convenient from Taiwan to Pingtan, and there have been more mainland tourists visiting Pingtan in recent years, she said. Since the beginning of April, direct service by ship between the two sides have increased from seven to nine round trips a week to meet increasing demand, according to border officials. More than 35,000 people, including more than 20,000 Taiwan residents, entered the mainland at the port from January to April, up 77 percent year-on-year.
