Mainland urges Taiwan to ensure resumption of cross-Strait direct flights

A mainland spokesperson on Wednesday urged the Taiwan side to take concrete actions to implement its plan to resume direct flights to some mainland destinations as soon as possible.

Taiwan compatriots and business people are looking forward to the full resumption of direct flights across the Taiwan Strait as soon as possible, and airlines on both sides have also actively applied for the resumption of flights, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, told a press conference.

Zhu said that currently the mainland's civil aviation authorities have approved flight plans of airlines on both sides for summer and autumn, which amounts to 794 cross-Strait passenger flights per week, an increase of 26.63 percent year on year.

Zhu added that the increasing cross-Strait direct flights will facilitate Taiwan compatriots' trips to and from the mainland, and boost offline cross-Strait exchanges in the economic and trade fields, as well as culture and folk customs, among others, with relevant events set to be held in various places.

When asked about the position of the mainland on Taiwan compatriots' expectations for the resumption of direct maritime passenger services, Zhu said that "we attach great importance to this and have made full preparations."

Noting that the five sea passenger routes between the mainland and Taiwan have been suspended since February 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Zhu said that there are no obstacles from the mainland side to the resumption of normal maritime passenger transport between the two sides, urging Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities to listen to the people and respond positively.