(From Stilltravel.cn, Nov. 4) Top envoys from Taiwan and the Chinese mainland signed deals on daily direct flights, new cargo routes and food safety on Tuesday during Beijing’s highest-level visit to the island in 60 years. Chen Yunlin (L), president of the mainland’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits and Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman P.K. Chiang signed on today on a total of four agreements concerning charter flights, maritime shipping, mailing and cooperation on food safety issues.
The new transportation agreement raises to 108 from 36 the number of weekly round-trip charter flights. Under the new routing, the direct flights opening in December between Taipei and Beijing will take two hours, and flights between Taipei and Shanghai will take 80 minutes. Flights from Xiamen may still have to pass Hong Kong before heading to Taipei. Maritime ships will save its trip to the Shihuan Island and travel straight to Taiwan. The agreements are expected to save 1.2 billion NTD (roughly 300 million RMB).
At present, flights between Beijing/Shanghai and Taipei need to make transits at Hong Kong airport and the cost is consequently doubled. As air tickets account for a large percentage in Taiwan traveling expenses, the Taiwan travel opened a month ago did not sell well as expected. The realization of direct flight and maritime ships will considerably lower the travelling cost to Taiwan and benefit travel agencies at both sides.
Travelling approval procedures is also expected to simplify in 2009. The original documents of employment/education and deposit required before are reduced to photocopy prints; originally when a family applies for travelling to Taiwan as a group, deposit certificates for everyone of the family are needed. Now they are condensed to only one certificate, considering the family as a whole; deposit certificates were needed when retired people attempt to go across the strait before, now a retirement certificate will do; moreover, the go-at-will time during group travelling in Taiwan is expanded to 1/3 of the total traveling days from the original 1-1.5 days.
Stilltravel.cn predict that the signing of the agreement would reduce traveling fee to Taiwan by 30%-40% next year from the now 10,000 RMB/person price and give strong boost to Taiwan travelling in competition with other outbound travelling routes.
Direct Flight, Mailing and Commerce (Three Direct Links)
The notion Direct Flight, Mailing and Commerce was put forward in the Message to Compatriots in Taiwan issued by the NPC Standing Committee in 1979, appealing for direct connection by mail, telegraph, maritime ships and flights to meet the communication and commerce needs of people on both sides of the strait. (Read in Chinese)
StillTravel - Focus on China Travel and Tourism Industry
Tags:Beijing Taipei direct flight, China Taiwan direct flight, China Taiwan Three Direct Links
