Four local Chinese mainland reporters to work in Taiwan

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-17 17:16

Local media from the Chinese mainland will be stationed in Taiwan since December 18, according to Li Weiyi, State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman.

Two reporters from Fujian Daily and two from Southeastern TV will start work in Taiwan, Li said in Beijing at a Wednesday press conference.

They will stay on the island for up to three months until being replaced by colleagues or other Chinese local media, according to Zhu Qing, director of the information office of the Fujian provincial government.

"The move will further boost exchange across the Taiwan Straits," Zhu said Wednesday morning.

"The Fujian Province and Taiwan are only separated by a strip of water. Up to 80 percent of our Taiwan compatriots have roots in Fujian. The exchange between Fujian and Taiwan in the field of news coverage will benefit economic and cultural development as well as communication between the two sides," Zhu said.

Mainland reporters have had limited access to Taiwan over the decades.

Taiwan authorities did not allow permanent mainland correspondents until November 2000. That's when four media outlets, including the Xinhua News Agency and People's Daily, were allowed to dispatch resident reporters to the island.

China News Service was allowed to send permanent correspondents in July 2004.

In 2005, Taiwan authorities suspended permits for resident reporters from Xinhua and People's Daily. It did not lift that suspension until June of this year.