29th March 2023 – (Beijing) A spokesperson for the mainland has called on Taiwan to take concrete actions to implement its plan to resume direct flights to some mainland destinations as soon as possible. Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said that Taiwan compatriots and business people are eagerly waiting for the full resumption of direct flights across the Taiwan Strait.
Zhu further revealed that the mainland’s civil aviation authorities have already approved the flight plans of airlines on both sides for the summer and autumn season. This amounts to 794 cross-Strait passenger flights per week, representing a 26.63 percent year-on-year increase.
The increasing number of cross-Strait direct flights will provide several benefits, including facilitating Taiwan compatriots’ travel to and from the mainland. It will also boost offline cross-Strait exchanges in the economic and trade fields, as well as in culture and folk customs. Relevant events are already scheduled to take place in various locations.
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.” She noted that the five sea passenger routes between the mainland and Taiwan have been suspended since February 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zhu emphasised that there are no obstacles from the mainland side to the resumption of normal maritime passenger transport between the two sides. She urged Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party authorities to listen to the people and respond positively.