What’s new: China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said Wednesday that the Chinese mainland is ready to resume all cross-Strait direct flights without restrictions, and urged Taiwan to stop using Covid-19 as an excuse to delay the resumption.
Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said the mainland has contained its Covid outbreak and compatriots in Taiwan and the mainland — as well as the airline industry — are “eagerly awaiting the full resumption of cross-Strait direct flights,” according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The Mainland Affairs Council in Taiwan had said the island is considering Beijing’s proposal to resume direct flights, but needs accurate data from the central government on the spread of Covid-19 on the mainland, according to Taiwanese media reports.
Zhu called on Taiwan to heed public opinion and stop stonewalling.
The background: Last week, mainland aviation authorities asked Taiwan to resume cross-Strait direct flights to 16 mainland destinations, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing and Hangzhou, Zhu said.
Since early 2020, Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party has banned mainland residents from visiting the island. It has also halted passenger flights to most destinations on the mainland, according to an article reprinted Tuesday by the Taiwan Affairs Office.
Contact reporter Wang Xintong (xintongwang@caixin.com) and editor Michael Bellart (michaelbellart@caixin.com)
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