Direct shipping route to open
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-05-31 11:30
Passenger ferry service will begin between another pair of Chinese mainland
and Taiwan ports on June 8, a Chinese mainland official announced in
Beijing on Wednesday.
The ferries will operate between Quanzhou of
east China's Fujian province and Jinmen of Taiwan, said He Shizhong, director of
the economic bureau of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, at a
press conference.
Fujian opened ferry services with Jinmen and Mazu, two
small islands near Fujian, on 2001. Since then, the ferries have transported
more than 1.4 million passengers and 3.96 million tons of freight.
"Operation of direct shipping services between Fujian, Jinmen and Mazu
in the past five years have accumulated experience for realizing comprehensive
direct sea transport links across the Strait," said He.
The ships only
carry company flags to avoid sensitive issues. "This method can certainly be
expanded to include other ports," he said.
The mainland side has always
stood for realizing comprehensive, direct and two-way mail, trade and transport
links, which is a necessity of economic exchanges and cooperation and personnel
exchanges, said He.
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