Taipei, Jan. 28 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) declined to comment Thursday on media reports that China plans to help evacuate Taiwanese tourists stranded in the Peruvian tourist attraction of Machu Picchu by heavy rain and mudslides.
Seven Taiwanese tourists remained stranded in the World Heritage site as of press time, while another 15 had been rescued, according to ministry officials.
Torrential rain and mudslides closed the ancient site over the weekend, prompting the Peruvian government to airlift stranded tourists from the city.
MOFA spokesman Henry Chen said MOFA knew nothing about the Chinese rescue and declined to comment on the media reports as they could not be confirmed.
China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported late Wednesday that the Peruvian authorities had agreed to a request by China to airlift the Taiwanese tourists from Machu Picchu after the Chinese Embassy in the Peruvian capital of Lima received an emergency call from a Taiwanese travel agency.
Earlier this month, China said it would help with Taiwan's consular affairs in Haiti after the Republic of China Embassy collapsed during a magnitude-7 earthquake struck the Caribbean nation.
In December 2009, China claimed it had helped with the release of four detained Taiwanese fishermen in Myanmar, which MOFA denied.
In July 2008, China also said it had helped with a search mission for eight missing Taiwanese businessmen in Madagascar.
On the basis of humanitarian relief, Chen said, Taiwan welcomes assistance offered by any country and at the same time will provide aid to other countries and collaborate with all parties on humanitarian relief efforts.
However, he went on, the ministry always makes direct contact with Taiwanese overseas representative offices to deal with such incidents and help Taiwanese nationals.