Direct cross-strait shipping, flights ready

    BEIJING, Dec. 14 -- Direct flights and ocean shipments begin on Monday between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, saving a lot of time and money. Beginning on Dec. 15, ships can sail directly to Taiwan from six mainland ports including Shanghai, Fuzhou and Xiamen. And airlines offering direct cross-strait charter flights will be able to cut flying time considerably.

    On Dec. 15, there will be four cargo ships leaving Fuzhou Port for Taichung and Keelung in Taiwan. Shipping costs will be much lower because the vessels no longer have to be routed via Hong Kong or Japan.

    Chen Weiren, chairman of Huarong Marine, said, "The shipping route between Fuzhou and Keelung used to be 470 nautical miles, now the direct route will cut it to 150 nautical miles. The cost will be lowered by 50 percent."

    Eventually 63 ports on the mainland and 11 in Taiwan opened for direct shipments.

    As for the airlines, the direct cross-strait flights will save a lot of time. For example, the a flight from Beijng to Taipei will be two hours and 50 minutes, a reduction of one hour and 20 minutes for the original trip. Flying from Shenzhen to Taipei will be one hour and 40 minutes, three hours less.

    (Source: CCTV.com)

Chinese mainland says ready for cross-Straits post service

    BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland official said on Friday that the mainland is ready to launch a direct postal service across the Taiwan Straits slated for next Monday.

    The direct postal service would end a situation that has prevailed since 1949, under which air, sea and postal movements between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have gone through a third place.

    Wang Yuci, deputy head of the State Post Bureau of China, said Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Xi'an, Nanjing and Chengdu in the Chinese mainland, and Taipei, Kaohsiung, Keelung, Kinmen and Matsu of Taiwan were selected as regional distribution centers for the service.  Full story