Chinese mainland, Taiwan start direct postal service_English

TAIPEI, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Wu Min-yu, chairman of the Taiwan-based Chunghwa Post Co. Ltd., sent out a letter to Liu Andong, president of the Chinese mainland's China Post Corporation, on 9:17 a.m. (1:17 GMT), marking the start of direct postal service between the two sides.

Mainland resident Zheng Jian, 81, who was born in southeast China's Taiwan, posts a letter to his Taiwan relatives at the ceremony marking the start of direct postal service between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 15, 2008. The Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air and sea transport and postal service Monday morning. (Xinhua/Wang Yongji)
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In pictures: Cross-strait "direct links" start Monday>>>

Chinese mainland, Taiwan start direct transport services

BEIJING, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air, sea transport and postal services on Monday morning, the latest step to further improve the once strained ties.

The move marks an end to the practice that air and sea transport as well as mail between the mainland and Taiwan had to go through a third place. Full story

Passengers from southeast China's Taiwan gesture before boarding the plane at the airport in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 15, 2008. A Shenzhen Airlines flight took off from the Shenzhen Airport for Taiwan at 7:20 Beijing Time (2320 GMT Dec. 14), the first when the Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air and sea transport and postal services Monday morning. (Xinhua Photo)
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Mainland-bound direct flight takes off from Taipei

TAIPEI, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- A passenger plane of Taiwan-based TransAsia Airways took off from Taipei Songshan Airport for Shanghai at 8:06 a.m. on Monday, starting the direct air transport from Taiwan to the Chinese mainland. Full story

Working staff wave to the plane leaving for southeast China's Taiwan, at the airport in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 15, 2008. The Shenzhen Airlines flight took off from the Shenzhen Airport for Taiwan at 7:20 Beijing Time (2320 GMT Dec. 14), the first when the Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air and sea transport and postal services Monday morning.

Working staff wave to the plane leaving for southeast China's Taiwan, at the airport in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 15, 2008. The Shenzhen Airlines flight took off from the Shenzhen Airport for Taiwan at 7:20 Beijing Time (2320 GMT Dec. 14), the first when the Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air and sea transport and postal services Monday morning. (Xinhua Photo)
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