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Regular China-Taiwan flights resume

04/07/2008

Direct flights between China and Taiwan have begun operating for the first time since the Chinese revolution.

An Airbus carrying 100 weekend tourists landed in Taiwan earlier this morning after taking off from the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

It is the first flight since 1949, when China descended into a civil war resulting in Taiwan's separation from the communist mainland.

China always insisted Taiwan was a part of its territory and several times during the cold war military confrontation seemed likely between the two.

Limited trade has developed in recent years but relations have remained frosty, a state of affairs changed by the election of new Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou in January this year.

His policies have resulted in renewed ties with the mainland as Taiwan looks to recover from declines in economic growth since 2000. China has responded positively.

The state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Chinese official Wang Yi as saying: "Direct contacts between the compatriots on both sides must be beefed up to enhance their mutual understanding and achieve new progress in the peaceful development of cross-Strait ties."

Around 760 tourists are expected to visit the country over the weekend and will stay there for ten days.