Weekend chartered flights across the Taiwan Strait will begin on July 18th, after an agreement signed in a meeting held June 13 between representatives of both mainland China and Taiwan. The representatives include Chen Yunlin, chairman of the mainland-based Association for Relations across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), and Chiang Pin-kun, chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF). The two main points of the agreement on June 13 are regarding the launch of cross-Strait weekend chartered flights and mainland tourists' traveling to Taiwan. The president of Taiwan, Ma Ying-jeou, said that this meeting was a great step into improving the relationship across the Strait.

Weekend chartered flights between Taiwan and 5 major cities in China are about to commence. Starting from July 4, it is expected to have 18 flights every weekend, from Friday to Monday, providing service to 3000 visitors per day. The mainland will first open Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xiamen and Nanjing terminals, and Taiwan will have eight terminals including Taipei, Taoyuan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Penghu, Hualien, Kinmen and Taitung. As for now, only travelers in groups are allowed to communicate in these chartered flights. Each group must consist of between 10 and 40 individuals. Also for now, the longest stay in Taiwan will be limited to 10 days. In the future, the number of flights and the number of dates will likely increase consistently with demand.

The future weekend chartered flights between Mainland China and Taiwan will save immensely in terms of money, time, and natural resources. This also greatly improves the tourism industries of both sides. Sinotour prepared many discounted hotels for you as a traveler to stay in either Taiwan or China, allowing you to enjoy a convenient and fun trip!