A PASSENGER ferry service connecting Quanzhou in Fujian Province and Taiwan's Jinmen will begin June 8, expanding a limited direct shipping service across the Taiwan Straits, a mainland official announced yesterday (May 31).

According to He Shizhong, director of the economic bureau of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, an agricultural fair attended by farmers from both sides of the Taiwan Straits will be held on the same day as part of the inauguration ceremony.

He said the fair aimed to help Taiwan farm products enter the mainland market.

There were no comprehensive direct mail, trade and transport links between the mainland and Taiwan since a civil war in the late 1940s.

Fujian opened ferry services from Meizhou Island to Jinmen and Mazu, two small islands under the jurisdiction of Taiwan, in 2001. The ferry route has since transported more than 1.4 million passengers and 3.96 million tons of freight.

"Operation of direct shipping services between Meizhou Island, Jinmen and Mazu in the past five years have accumulated substantial experience for realizing comprehensive direct sea transport links across the Straits," said He.

The ferries will carry only company flags to avoid raising sensitive issues. "This method can certainly be expanded to include other ports," He said.

Lack of comprehensive direct links has added to the expenses to Taiwan businessmen with investments on the mainland as transport of passengers and cargo have to go through a third place like Hong Kong.

Editor: Wing