Tourism associations from Taiwan and China are to set up offices in each other's territory from early next year. That's according to Yang Ruey-tzhong, the Taiwan Strait Tourism Association's designated Beijing representative on Friday.

The association will open its Beijing office before Chinese New Year in February next year, with the association's Chinese counterpart -- the Cross Strait Tourism Association -- opening a Taipei office at the same time.

Yang said that the opening of the two offices has been organized on the principles of "dignity and equal treatment" on both sides.

The Taiwan Strait Tourism Association is a quasi-official organization representing Taiwan in negotiations on cross-strait tourism. Yang will be the first Taiwanese government official to be stationed in China.