Ma Xiaoguang

The DPP authorities on Taiwan island are urged to comply with public wishes and promote full resumption of the "mini three links" between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan as soon as possible, a mainland official said.

"We urge the DPP authorities to remove all types of unreasonable obstacles set up in the past three years, promote the full resumption of the 'mini three links' as soon as possible, resume the original passenger routes on both sides of the Taiwan Straits and restore normalization of cross-Straits personnel exchanges and public exchanges," Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, told a press conference on Wednesday.

The "mini three inks" refer to direct trade, postal and transport services which were launched on January 1, 2001 between Kinmen and Matsu, two islands attached to Taiwan, and Fujian, a coastal province in the mainland.

The ferry services between the coastal areas of Fujian and Kinmen and Matsu resumed over the weekend after a suspension of nearly three years as the DPP authorities cited COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

"But the resumption far falls short of what the broad Taiwan compatriots have anticipated," Ma said. 

"The bulk of Taiwanese businessmen, students and cadres are excluded, while mainlanders could not go to Taiwan island via the current channels. Thus, it is far from meeting the expectations of the people across the Straits," he added.

The ferry services under the "mini three links" could cut travel time for Taiwan island residents who would otherwise take circuitous flights to Xiamen, a coastal city in Fujian, or other places in Fujian.

Between its launch in 2001 and February 2020, the "mini three links" program carried 22.08 million passengers.

Family members of mainland passengers walk to go through security check at Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport in Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province, Feb. 5, 2015. Photo: Xinhua

In the lead-up to China's upcoming Spring Festival holiday, time for Chinese family reunions, the mainland will actively support airlines from both sides to significantly increase flights on cross-Straits routes to facilitate Taiwan compatriots' home-bound travel, Ma said.

"Relevant airlines will increase their capacity and adjust cross-Straits transportation arrangements, and flights will increase significantly," he added.

At the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, it is estimated that from January 8 to 31, there will be an average of eight two-way passenger flights to and from Taiwan island per day.

Expanding flight destinations is also a necessary move to provide convenience and guarantee Taiwan compatriots can return home for the upcoming holidays, Ma said.

There were originally 61 cross-Straits flight destinations in the mainland. After the breakout of the pandemic, the DPP authorities unilaterally closed most of them. Currently, there are four destinations in the mainland.

Global Times