Taiwanese tourists stranded in China's snow storm

The tourists were stranded by snow-clogged roads or at airports where flights were canceled or postponed, said Chen Yi-chuan, an official with the private Taiwanese Tourism Association.

The TTA has warned tourists not to visit central and southwestern Chinese provinces, including Anhui, Hunan, Guizhou and western Sichuan, where blizzards have paralyzed the transport system.

Officials said most of the Taiwanese tourists were stranded in Huangshan, Jiuzhaigou and Zhangjiajie Forest Parks, known for their misty mountains or waterfalls.

The snow and ice storms have caused dozens of deaths, airport closures and blackouts during the past two weeks. Forecasters warned that more snow could fall in the next three days in parts of eastern and southern China.

"If the snow storms do not ease in the next few days, it could affect the peak of China travel during the Lunar New Year holidays," said Chang Si-chong of Taiwan's Government Tourist Bureau, noting that many tourists have paid for the air tickets in advance. Lunar New Year begins Wednesday.

More than 1 million Taiwanese tourists visit China annually, drawn by its historic relics and natural beauty.

Aside from hurting tourism, disrupted Chinese air and land traffic is also believed to be slowing Taiwanese shipments to the mainland.

On Tuesday, Asustech Computer, a leading Taiwanese laptop maker, said the Chinese snow storms are expected to affect up to 5 percent of its shipments in the second quarter of 2008.

Many Taiwanese high-tech firms have assembly lines in China, taking advantage of the mainland's relatively low labor costs. Annual trade between the sides is about US$100 billion (€69 billion) heavily in Taiwan's favor.

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