Experts called on Taiwan authorities on Thursday to give up political concerns about the early realization of direct air links with the mainland.

Guo Zhenyuan, a researcher with the China Institute for International Studies, said chartered flights across the Taiwan Straits for festivals and special cases failed to meet public demand for direct transport links.

"The new agreement by aviation organizations of the Chinese mainland and Taiwan will undoubtedly promote cross-Straits exchanges, but the progress is a bit slow and the advances are small," Guo said.

China's General Administration of Civil Aviation (CAAC) announced on Wednesday that the mainland-based Cross-Straits Aviation Transport Exchange Council and the Taipei Airlines Association had agreed on the framework of chartered flights for festivals and special occasions.

Chartered flights will operate during Qingming, or the tomb-sweeping festival, the Dragon Boat and Mid-Autumn festivals, in addition to the Chinese lunar New Year season, according to the agreement.

The two sides also agreed to open chartered flights for emergency medical rescue, first aid for the disabled and special chartered cargo flights.

People from both the mainland and Taiwan have for years wanted direct, two-way, comprehensive air links, but the Taiwan authorities have always disappointed them with political excuses, Guo said.

The two sides had successfully operated chartered flights during spring festival in recent years, showing the feasibility of open direct flights by non-governmental aviation organizations from both sides, Guo said.

"Despite deliberate obstruction from the Taiwan authorities, the realization of direct air links is inescapable with the development of economic and trade relations between the two sides," he said.

Sun Shengliang, an associate research fellow with the research institute of Taiwan issues under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Wednesday's agreement was another step towards direct, two-way air links.

"It proves that the mainland side is sincere in promoting the realization of demands by the Taiwanese people no matter what political changes occur on the island," Sun said.

Aviation businesses on both sides are keen to begin weekend charters or regular flights and even direct air links as soon as the Taiwan authorities dropped their political concerns, Sun said.     

Direct air links have become an urgent issue in cross-Straits exchanges with the deepening of economic and cultural exchanges between the two sides in recent years.

The two sides have agreed to allow chartered flights for 14 days around the Spring Festival, and then seven days around the other three festivals, according to Wednesday's agreement.

The chartered flights will operate between Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xiamen on the mainland, and Taipei and Kaohsiung in Taiwan. All Taiwan residents, businessmen and their relatives with valid certificates can take the flights.

Taiwan business people working on the mainland applauded the new agreement, though some said it is not as satisfactory as they had hoped.

"The festival chartered flights are a long-awaited wish of Taiwan businessmen here, it means a lot to Taiwanese who value tradition very much," said Wu Zhenchang, head of the association of Taiwan-funded companies in south China's Guangzhou.

Zeng Qinzhao, Wu's counterpart in Fujian's Xiamen, said the direct links for mail, trade and transport between the Chinese mainland's Xiamen and Jinmen of Taiwan have operated smoothly during the past five years. He was hoping for a new breakthrough that might have included weekend direct chartered flights across the Taiwan Straits.

Many Taiwan businessmen agree that the festival chartered flights will save both time and money. Chen Yuemei, a Taiwan company manager in east China's Nanjing, calculated that the new flights will save her more than 1,000 yuan (125 U.S. dollars) although she's disappointed that Nanjing is not one of the destinations.

Spring Festival chartered flights were initiated by a group of Taiwan business people and eminent persons in 2002, after more than 50 years with no direct air links.

After negotiations, 16 chartered flights via Hong Kong and Macao were arranged during the 2003 Spring Festival.

The first non-stop chartered flights across the Taiwan Straits were launched in 2005. This year, there were 72 round-trip Spring Festival flights.

Taiwan's stock market shares rose sharply on Wednesday following the announcement of the expansion of chartered flights between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

Traders said the news of expanding chartered flight injected investors with confidence.

Qingming Festival, when Chinese people pay homage to their ancestors and deceased loved ones, falls on April 5 or 6.

The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, while the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, is observed as a day for family reunion.

(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2006)