In order to attract more visitors to Kaohsiung after June 28, when individual Chinese visitors are permitted to travel in Taiwan, the Kaohsiung municipal government has proposed opening up the academies of Taiwan’s army, navy and air force located nearby. The idea was quickly rejected by the Ministry of National Defense, according to Taipei-based China Times.
The ministry’s spokesman, Luo Shao-ho, stressed that the training academies are not tourist attractions, and to open them to Chinese tourists would only elicit controversy. In fact, even Chinese tourists venturing too close to take photographs will be stopped by security guards.
The idea of planning a “three academies tour” was the brainchild of Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu of the Democratic Progressive Party who asked the municipal government’s tourism department to coordinate with the military on this matter. Many in the tourism industry see merit in the proposal.
The United Daily News commented that the plan is a good one, if the areas are fixed and do not involve any military secrets. The paper even suggested it could be Kaohsiung’s signature attraction for Chinese tourists by staging a couple of Military Honor Guard performances every day. However, Chen’s proposal is in conflict with the DPP’s China policy, which has urged Taiwanese people to be aware that Chinese tourists might serve as a “Trojan Horse.”
According to the paper, Chen Sheng-shan, the director of the Kaohsiung municipal government’s tourism department, said, “I do not think it is something difficult.” If there are no security concerns, he hopes to allow mainland Chinese tourists to take photos from “a distance outside the gates of each academy” to satisfy their “curiosity.”
So far, Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency has listed “22 allowed behaviors” and “11 behavior that are not allowed” by Chinese tourists. The list in itself has drawn some criticism. Permitted activities include: participation in an event where 10,000 swimmers cross Sun Moon Lake, attending the New Year flag-raising ceremony, dining with elected council representatives or government officials. The activities not permitted include: partaking in elections and political activities, working, entering military and national defense areas and talking on television shows.
Li Lin-feng, an official of the agency, said that these regulations have been in place for some time now, ever since Chinese tour groups were allowed to visit Taiwan. The restrictions are necessary due to the special cross-strait relations. She stressed that they only serve as a gentle reminder for the visiting Chinese tourists to avoid violating local rules.
Li pointed out, that visitors from other countries do not face as many restrictions, but they also cannot work without a work permit, whereas Chinese tourists are totally banned from finding a job, delivering a speech in public, and teaching. If Chinese passport holders want to do any of these tasks, they should apply for a visa as a “professional” rather than as an individual visitor.
Given that Chinese tourists can “not enter the military defense areas,” according to current regulations, Li added that Mayor Chen’s proposal to open up the three academies as a tourist attrraction should best be addressed by the Department of Defense.