By David Bandurski — As the recent warming of cross-straits relations expanded to the news sector, Taiwan’s Government Information Office announced on Monday that it would now allow reporters from mainland China’s official Xinhua News Agency and People’s Daily to be stationed in Taiwan and carry out reporting activities. The office also said the length of stay permitted for Chinese state media reporters would be extended from one month to three months.
Southern Metropolis Daily reported the news today, one of just a handful of newspapers to do so.
In April 2005, citing biased reporting from People’s Daily and Xinhua, Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party suspended their Taiwan offices. Government information Office Minister Vanessa Shih (史亚平) said official mainland media were being allowed back into Taiwan as the first step in Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou’s policy of “normalizing mutual relations between media on both sides of the strait,” and that the move signaled Taiwan’s good faith.
MORE SOURCES:
“Chinese state media allowed back in Taiwan in goodwill,” The China Post, July 1, 2008
“Official urges favorable cross-Straits publicity environment,” Xinhua News Agency, June 24, 2008
[Posted by David Bandurski, July 2, 2008, 4:35pm HK]