The first regular, direct flight from mainland China to Taiwan for nearly 60 years has landed at Taipei’s airport.

China’s top official on Taiwan affairs, Wang Yi, said it signalled “a new start” in exchanges. The two sides have been ruled by separate governments since 1949, forcing travellers to fly via a third destination. Ties have improved significantly since Taiwan‘s new President, Ma Ying-jeou, took office in May. He advocates stronger economic ties with China, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has threatened force if it moves towards formal independence. The agreements on flights, signed last month, is seen as a big step towards improved cross-strait relations.

‘One family’

The new flights, which will take place from Friday to Monday only, will connect five major cities in China with hubs in Taiwan. The China Southern Airlines flight, from the southern city of Guangzhou, was the first of 36 cross-strait flights to be launched this weekend. It carried about 250 passengers, including 100 tourists from the mainland, and was met with a water sprinkling ceremony. Company chairman Liu Shaoyong flew the plane over. “This is a sacred moment. The two sides of the strait are like members in one family,” he told journalists in Taipei. At the same time as the China Southern flight was travelling to Taipei, a Taiwan-based China Airlines flight with Taiwanese tourists was making its way to Shanghai.

Tourism boost

At Taipei’s Songshan airport, passengers on the first flights from China were greeted by lion dancers and aboriginal singers. They are all being given the red carpet treatment, with special receptions, dinners and entertainment programmes. The first arrivals included many Chinese tourists travelling on week-long package trips. “It’s so convenient to get here,” Wang Qi told Reuters news agency. “Since I was very young I always wanted to go to Alishan,” she added, referring to Taiwan’s most famous mountain.

Their numbers are expected to rapidly increase because – alongside the deal on flights – the two sides have also agreed that the number of mainland tourists allowed to visit Taiwan will rise to 3,000 per day from 18 July.
Local businesses are predicting the new arrivals will provide a much-needed economic boost and the government is hoping the direct weekend flights will soon become daily. Many Taiwanese are excited by the expected influx of Chinese tourists, says the BBC’s Caroline Gluck in Taipei. But others are more wary – citing concerns about rude behaviour, cheap spending habits and the potential for political disputes, our correspondent says. “The mainlanders will be our guests,” Taiwanese Premier Liu Chao-shiuan said Thursday. “I hope we can work together to impress them with the Taiwanese people’s good nature, politeness, passion and hospitality.”

In pictures: China-Taiwan flights

courtesy BBC