China opens door for contacts with Taiwan

BEIJING, DEC. 28. China indicated today it would grudgingly go along with a Taiwan plan for limited exchanges between Taiwan's offshore islands and the Chinese mainland, opening the door to the first legal direct contact.

Xinhua news agency quoted an official in the coastal province of Fujian as saying the plan did not go far enough and ``indicates that the Taiwan authorities lack sincerity and goodwill in realising direct services''.

Nevertheless, the official of the Fujian Taiwan affairs office said ``the mainland is willing to help'', Xinhua said.

He called on non-governmental organisations in the Taiwan islands of Quemoy and Mazu and the Chinese cities of Fuzhou and Xiamen to do everything they could to facilitate the limited two-way exchanges of people and trade.

Taiwan's Cabinet this month approved regulations dropping a ban lasting more than five decades on direct contact with the mainland, but only between its heavily-fortified offshore islands and Fujian.

The first Taiwan ships are expected to set sail with passengers and goods on January 1.

- Reuters

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Section  : International
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