In latest overture, China lets tourists visit Taiwan

BEIJING – China said Friday it will let mainland tourists visit Taiwan, ending a decades-old ban and pressing its campaign of offering economic benefits to woo its rival into pursuing closer ties.

Allowing tourism was among promises made by Beijing during recent visits by two Taiwanese opposition leaders in an effort to build sentiment on the island, which China claims as its own territory, in favor of uniting with the communist mainland.

In recent weeks, China also has offered a gift of pandas and lower tariffs on imports of Taiwanese fruit in an effort to draw the self-ruled island into talks on their future.

In Taipei, Premier Frank Hsieh welcomed the possibility of more tourists, but said Taiwan still has to work out how long they would be allowed to stay and other details.

The end of the ban on Chinese tourism to Taiwan was announced by the mainland’s State Tourism Bureau.