Liaoning Province Public Security Bureau

The Hua Ye Xiamen Hotel and Accor Asia Pacific Company Shanghai Company have announced that, with effect from August 1, 2009, they have mutually agreed to discontinue using the Sofitel brand and related management services for the hotel currently named Sofitel Plaza Xiamen.According to reports in local media, the parting has been by mutual consent with the owners of Hua Ye Xiamen Hotel expressing their gratitude to AAPC Shanghai for its support in helping to establish Sofitel Plaza Xiamen as the city?s leading hotel. Markland Blaiklock, the senior vice president of Sofitel Asia Pacific, commented that Accor remained committed to the owners of Hua Ye Xiamen Hotel and to current and future collaborations. Chinese tourists who want to visit North Korea via Dandong will not need a passport from now on ? just their ID card and photos are enough. Tourists only need to offer the ID card or a copy and their photos to qualified travel agencies for the exit-entry permits and wait for two or three days. The exit-entry permit is valid for three months. Individual applications for the exit-entry permit are not available yet, according to the exit-entry administration of Liaoning Province Public Security Bureau. China Pictures Travelsky will offer computer system service to Mondial Assistance China to build a bridge between travel insurance sales agents and Mondial Assistance China. This will enable China's outbound tourists to enjoy world-class travel insurance and assistance services. The first phase of development is being prepared now and is expected to put into operation by the first half of 2009. Mondial Assistance China is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mondial Assistance Group, a company specializing in travel insurance and roadside assistance services.