Editing Three Links (section)

===Further liberalization===
In the lead-up to the [[2008 Republic of China presidential election|2008 presidential elections]] in [[Taiwan]], the [[Kuomintang]] candidate, [[Ma Ying-jeou]], pledged opening the Three Links at an accelerated rate should he be elected president. The ruling DPP has traditionally been reluctant to implement this, citing the PRC's refusal to negotiate unless the Taiwanese counterparty accepts the one-China principle under the 1992 consensus. In June 2007, DPP presidential candidate [[Frank Hsieh]] criticised Ma's plans as a reflection of his lack of experience in handling cross-strait affairs. He also stressed that while the direct links may benefit Taiwan economically, Taiwan's values must not be compromised as a result.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2007/06/20/2003366036/print|title=Taipei Times - archives}}</ref>

On 29 February 2008, Ma announced plans to commence weekend charter flights by 1 July 2008, which will be expanded to daily charters by the end of the year. Regular scheduled flights may commence by June 2009.<ref>[http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/2008/03/01/145080/Ma-sets.htm Ma sets timetable for cross-strait air travel - The China Post]</ref> The airports of Taoyuan, Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Hualien, Taitung, and Penghu will be open for these cross-strait flights, while the seaports of Keelung, Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Hualien, Chiayi, and Tainan will be open to direct shipping routes. All restrictions limiting the scope of the "mini three links" will be lifted, including allowing all Taiwanese to use them. Hsieh responded by promising to expand cross-strait charter flights within three months after taking office, including increased flight frequencies and the addition of destinations on the Chinese which may be flown to.<ref>[http://www.chinapost.com.tw/business/asia/%20taiwan/2008/03/18/147624/Expansion-of.htm Expansion of direct flights welcomed - The China Post]</ref> Both liberalization plans were greeted by enthusiasm amongst Taiwanese airlines.<ref>[http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/presidential%20election/2008/03/01/145081/Airlines-welcome.htm Airlines welcome Ma's cross-strait flight plan - The China Post]</ref>

Formal agreements to launch regular weekend charter flights were signed on 13 June 2008, allowing for an initial 36 return flights per weekend from Friday to Monday, divided equally to allow 18 return flights amongst up to six China-based and six Taiwan-based airlines respectively. The agreement will involve five airports from China, including those in Beijing, [[Shanghai]], Guangzhou, Xiamen and [[Nanjing]], and eight airports in Taiwan,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/13/content_8359704.htm|title=Mainland, Taiwan agree on weekend charter flights, direct cross-Strait flights to be discussed_English_Xinhua|date=June 20, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080620082527/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/13/content_8359704.htm |archive-date=2008-06-20 }}</ref> namely [[Taipei Taoyuan International Airport]], [[Kaohsiung International Airport]], [[Taichung Airport]], [[Taipei Songshan Airport]], [[Makung Airport]], [[Hualien Airport]], [[Kinmen Airport]] and [[Taitung Airport]]. Flights to China cities of [[Chengdu]], [[Chongqing]], [[Hangzhou]], [[Dalian]], [[Guilin]] and [[Shenzhen]] may be added later.<ref name="shanghaidaily1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200806/20080613/article_363100.htm|title=Mainland, Taiwan ink deal to boost flights, tourism - Shanghai Daily &#124; 上海日报 - English Window to China New}}</ref> The first flights are scheduled to commence on 4 July 2008, and flight frequencies may be increased on demand, with expectations to increase to 72 each weekend after the [[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Olympic Games]].<ref>[http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/china-taiwan%20relations/2008/06/13/160749/p2/Taipei-Beijing.htm Taipei, Beijing reach historic pacts - The China Post]</ref> For the first time, the flights will be open to anyone holding valid travel documents, and will no longer be restricted to [[China|Chinese]] and Taiwanese residents only, and no longer required to fly through the Hong Kong FIR. There are also frequency caps on certain sectors: flights from Shanghai to Taiwan are capped at nine return trips each week, while those from China to Taichung must not exceed six return flights each week. There will be no restrictions out of Nanjing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chinahospitalitynews.com/2008/06/20/6649-caac-assigns-mainland-airlines-weekend-charter-flights/|title=CAAC Assigns Mainland Airlines' Weekend Charter Flights - China Hospitality News - The Digest of Corporate and Leisure Travel Planning}}</ref>

On 17 June 2008, the [[Civil Aviation Administration of China]] announced that the 18 return flights available to Chinese airlines will be apportioned such that [[Air China]] and [[Hainan Airlines]] will fly to Taiwan from Beijing with four return flights and two return flights respectively; [[China Eastern Airlines]] and [[Shanghai Airlines]] will fly from Shanghai to Taiwan with four return flights and two return flights respectively; [[China Southern Airlines]] fly depart for Taiwan from Guangzhou for four return flights per week, and [[Xiamen Airlines]] will connect Xiamen with Taiwan with two weekly return flights.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200806/20080617/article_363548.htm|title=Aviation watchdog announces flight schedule to Taiwan - Shanghai Daily &#124; 上海日报 - English Window to China New}}</ref>

Allocation amongst Taiwanese carriers was adjusted from six airlines to five after the suspension of [[Far Eastern Air Transport]]. A rotating allocation system was adopted, whereby in the first week, Mandarin Airlines, TransAsia Airways and UNI Air would fly four return flights each and China Airlines and EVA Airways will fly three flights each, and in the second week, four flights will be operated by TransAsia Airways, UNI Air and China Airlines, while EVA Airways and Mandarin Airlines will fly three flights. The rights will be rotated through in subsequent weeks such that each airline will fly in aggregate the same number of flights every five weeks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://travel.asiaone.com/Travel/News/Story/A1Story20080618-71499.html|title=Five Taiwanese airlines to operate China flights|date=July 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707175218/http://travel.asiaone.com/Travel/News/Story/A1Story20080618-71499.html |archive-date=2011-07-07 }}</ref> On the Taiwan-Shanghai route, three airlines will be allocated two roundtrip flights each week, and another airline one weekly flight, to be cycled through the five airlines.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.avbuyer.com.cn/e/2008/25372.html|title=Five Taiwanese carriers to serve 18 weekend charter flights to China &#124; Airlines &#124; News &#124; en.AvBuyer.com.cn}}</ref> China Airlines and its subsidiary Mandarin Airlines would fly seven round-trips a week, with four to Shanghai, two to Beijing and one to Guangzhou from Kaohsiung, Makung, Taichung and Taipei. Eva Air and subsidiary UNI Air would fly from Taiwan Taoyuan, Songshan and Kaohsiung to Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, while TransAsia Airways will operate from Songshan to Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xiamen.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}} China Airlines and its Mandarin Airlines subsidiary would offer 29 return flights in the month of July to Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Xiamen,<ref>[http://www.chinapost.com.tw/business/asia/%20taiwan/2008/06/21/161966/CAL-to.htm CAL to start charter flights to Shanghai and Beijing - The China Post]</ref> while Eva Air would offer 7 flights per week initially from Taiwan Taoyuan and Songshan airports.<ref>[http://www.chinapost.com.tw/business/asia/%20taiwan/2008/06/21/161965/Eva-Air.htm Eva Air eyes cooperation with China peers for direct flights - The China Post]</ref>

Announced routes so far are as follows:
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1em auto; font-size:97%; text-align:left;"
|+Announced Cross-straits flights<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1701133/|title=Eastern Airlines to Open Weekend Charter Flights to Taiwan}}</ref><ref>[http://chinaaviation.aero/news/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11033&Itemid=59 CAL and AE Prepare to Launch Direct Weekend Charter Flights to  China - China Airlines, Airports and Aviation News]</ref>
|-
!Airline|| Chinese airport||Taiwanese airport||Flights per week<br />(Week commencing<br />4 July 2008)||Aircraft||Remarks
|-
|{{flagicon|PRC}} [[Air China]]||[[Beijing Capital International Airport]]||[[Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport]]||2 (Fridays and Sundays)|| ||
|-
|{{flagicon|PRC}} [[Air China]]||[[Shanghai Pudong International Airport]]||[[Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport]]||2 (Fridays and Sundays)|| ||
|-
|{{flagicon|ROC}} [[China Airlines]]||[[Beijing Capital International Airport]]||[[Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport]]|| || ||
|-
|{{flagicon|ROC}} [[China Airlines]]||[[Shanghai Pudong International Airport]]||[[Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport]]|| || ||
|-
|{{flagicon|PRC}} [[China Eastern Airlines]]||[[Shanghai Pudong International Airport]]||[[Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport]]||1 (Sundays)||Airbus A321||
|-
|{{flagicon|PRC}} [[China Eastern Airlines]]||[[Shanghai Pudong International Airport]]||[[Taipei Songshan Airport]]||2 (Mondays and Fridays)||Airbus A321||
|-
|{{flagicon|PRC}} [[China Eastern Airlines]]||[[Nanjing Lukou International Airport]]||[[Taipei Songshan Airport]]||1 (Fridays)||Airbus A321||
|-
|{{flagicon|ROC}} [[Mandarin Airlines]]||[[Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport]]||[[Makung Airport]]|| ||Embraer 190||
|-
|{{flagicon|ROC}} [[Mandarin Airlines]]||[[Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport]]||[[Taichung Airport]]|| ||Embraer 190||
|-
|{{flagicon|PRC}} [[Shanghai Airlines]]||[[Shanghai Pudong International Airport]]||[[Taipei Songshan Airport]]||2 (Fridays and Sundays)||Boeing 767-300ER||First flight to commence<ref>[http://www.chinainfoworld.com/shownews.php?id=40420 IEL China Industry Daily News -Shanghai Airlines to Open Mainland China – Taiwan Charter Flights]</ref>
|}

[[File:B-5293 (37052832006).jpg|thumb|China Eastern aircraft in Taiwan in 2017]]
Negotiators are expected to meet again in Taiwan to tackle outstanding issues, including revisiting the issue of introducing cross-strait charter cargo flights within three months,<ref>[http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/china-taiwan%20relations/2008/06/15/161050/Ma-seeks.htm Ma seeks more cross-strait talks - The China Post]</ref> the introduction of direct flight routes without the need to fly via Hong Kong airspace<ref name="shanghaidaily1"/> and subsequent addition of destinations and frequencies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cens.com/cens/html/en/news/news_inner_23662.html|title=Taiwan and China Agree to Set Up Business Offices Mutually &#124; Taiwan Industry Updates|website=CENS.com}}</ref>

On 19 June 2008, the ''"Little Three Links"'' between the islands of Kinmen and Matsu and Fujian was greatly liberalised, allowing any Taiwanese to use the ferry services by travelling to either island on their onward journey into Fujian province and beyond. In response, several Taiwanese airlines increased flights to Kinmen, including Mandarin Airlines (increased Taipei-Kinmen flights), Trans Asia Airways (an additional weekly Taipei-Kinmen flight) and UNI Airways Corporation (increase Taipei-Kinmen flights by one or two each week, for a total of 24 weekly flights). Still, the sudden surge in travellers caused flights to become overbooked in the immediate aftermath of liberalization.<ref>[http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national%20news/2008/06/21/161953/Direct-flights.htm Direct flights via Kinmen applauded - The China Post]</ref> There were calls for further relaxation on travel restrictions of Chinese travelling into the islands so as to enable them to also travel onwards to the main island.<ref>[http://www.chinapost.com.tw/2008/06/20/161803/p2/Taiwan-residents.htm Taiwan residents can ferry to China - The China Post]</ref> Work was also needed to correct the current trade and movement imbalance, where 300,000 Taiwanese travel via the route to reach China, compared to 37,000 Chinese who travel in the opposite direction. On the other hand, the volume of Chinese goods using the route was significantly higher compared to Taiwanese goods. The MAC Minister [[Lai Shin-yuan]] remarked that the [[Straits Exchange Foundation]] will negotiate with [[Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits]] to allow the Chinese to travel to Taiwan via the route, and to lift a US$100,000 trade value ceiling imposed by the Chinese on Taiwanese goods using the route.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cens.com/cens/html/en/news/news_inner_23751.html|title=Cabinet Opens Minor Cross-Strait Transportation Link to All Travelers &#124; Taiwan Industry Updates|website=CENS.com}}</ref>