Quality assurance efforts for Taiwan rours

New rules to regulate visits from mainland groups to Taiwan are set to take effect on Friday. As Niu Yun explains, these aim to guarantee that tourists do not spend more than is necessary, and that they get exactly what they pay for.

Under the new rules, guides on both sides are not allowed bring tourists on extra-sightseeing tours without explicit consent. If they do, the guides themselves will have to bear the extra expense. And agencies have to pay a fine if they coerce tourists into buying items they do not want. Tour agencies are also required to help customers get compensation if they buy counterfeit goods bought in Taiwan. Meanwhile, Taiwan's Travel Quality Assurance Association is also mounting efforts to safeguard the interests of mainland tourists.

The first mainland tourist groups to Taiwan have already returned home. And some have complained about their experience saying they did not get proper receipts and quality certificates for their purchases.

Taiwan's Travel Quality Assurance Association has asked travel agencies to take mainland tourists to shops registered to the association saying this will make it easier to help customers get compensation, if they are dissatisfied with goods bought in these shops. At present, over 161 shops in Taiwan have made the grade set by the organization. Meanwhile, a 24-hour hotline and a website have been launched for all complaints.

SAC seals deal with Bombardier at Farnborough

China Construction Bank says it plans to bid for a share in the rapidly expanding sector of private banking services. CCB says it is set to launch high-end financial services to individuals with liquid assets above 10 million yuan in the country's most affluent areas including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong Province. Services include amongst others wealth management, as well as tailor-made financial products.

Canadian company, Bombardier Aerospace, has signed a deal with China's Shenyang Aircraft Corporation at the on-going Farnborough International Air Show in Britain. SAC is a subsidiary of the state-owned aviation giant, AVIC I, and it will supply the core fuselage for the newly launched Bombardier C-Series aircraft. SAC will take part in the design, manufacture, assembly and testing of the plane, as well as provide after-sales support of four major work packages.