Editing Three Links (section)

==Impact==
[[File:大陸居民赴台灣旅遊 (2).jpg|thumb|Chinese Mainland visitors in Taiwan]]

Visitor data from Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council indicates that the  China-Taiwan aviation market is about 8 million passengers annually just prior to the June 2008 agreements, and may be expected to immediately increase to 10 million as a result of liberalization. IATA's figures puts the market figure at about 6 million passengers annually based on number of air tickets issued, with the Shanghai-Taipei pair accounting for 40% of the entire market. The ten biggest markets are as follows:

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1em auto; font-size:97%; text-align:left;"
|+Top ten city-pairs on the cross-Strait aviation market<br />(one-way   China to Taiwan traffic figures)<ref name="flightglobal1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/06/20/224828/opening-the-flood-gates-airlines-allowed-to-fly-between-china-and.html|title=Opening the flood gates: airlines allowed to fly between Mainland and Taiwan}}</ref>
|-
!Chinese port||Taiwanese port||2005||2006||2007
|-
|Shanghai||Taipei||1,056,000||1,179,000||1,249,000
|-
|Beijing||Taipei||227,000||257,000||274,000
|-
|Shanghai||Kaohsiung||167,000||183,000||198,000
|-
|Xiamen||Taipei||149,000||141,000||134,000
|-
|Hangzhou||Taipei||65,000||100,000||104,000
|-
|Nanjing||Taipei||61,000||92,000||84,000
|-
|Fuzhou||Taipei||71,000||74,000||72,000
|-
|Guangzhou||Taipei||70,000||61,000||69,000
|-
|Shenzhen||Taipei||81,000||99,000||55,000
|}

===Transit points===
The enforcement of the ban on direct trade links has benefited third party transit points, in particular Hong Kong, since 1988. Current China-Taiwan traffic channels about 60% of its traffic via Hong Kong, 30% via Macau, and the rest via other points such as Jeju. In 1997, the Taipei-Hong Kong air route alone constituted one-sixth of the passengers handled at the Hong Kong Airport with five million passengers,<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/routledg/ttrv/2001/00000021/00000001/art00002|title=Deregulating direct flights across the Taiwan Strait: the transformation of Eastern Asian air transport market and network|first1=Zheng-Yi|last1=Shon|first2=Yu-Hern|last2=Chang|first3=Cheng-Chang|last3=Lin|date=January 1, 2001|journal=Transport Reviews|volume=21|issue=1|pages=15–30|via=IngentaConnect|doi=10.1080/01441640118776|s2cid=154266787 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> and by 2001, this figure has jumped to 6.7 million. In the fiscal year 2006–07, the Taipei-Hong Kong air route accounted for 18% of Hong Kong's 45 million passengers, making it one of the busiest international air routes by passenger numbers in the world.<ref>[http://www.cbiz.cn/news/showarticle.asp?id=1605 More flights for Taiwan Hong Kong airspace]</ref>

1.6 million air travelers flew into China from Hong Kong in 1996,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/specials/hongkong/062797hongkong-services.html|title=The Hong Kong Tail That Wags the China Dragon|website=archive.nytimes.com}}</ref> and in 2000, 18% of Hong Kong's 2.4 million tourists came from Taiwan, out of which 36% of them traveled on to China with or without staying in Hong Kong.<ref name="tdctrade1">{{Cite web|url=https://sourcing.hktdc.com/|title=Hong Kong & China Online Wholesale and Manufacturing Suppliers &#124; HKTDC Sourcing|website=sourcing.hktdc.com}}</ref> In the five-year period from 2003 to 2007 there were an average of 3.68 million passengers annually who travel through Hong Kong between the two locations. Today, about 60% of Taiwan-Hong Kong traffic connects onwards to flights into the Chinese, and for the Macau-Taiwan sector, about 80%.<ref name="flightglobal1"/>

Currently, over 3,000 flights offering nearly one million seats are operated every month by five airlines, namely China Airlines, [[Cathay Pacific]], [[Dragonair]], [[EVA Air]] and [[Thai Airways International]], between Hong Kong and Taipei. In addition, flights are operated between Hong Kong and Kaohsiung by China Airlines, Dragonair and Mandarin Airlines, and between Hong Kong and Taichung by Dragonair, Hong Kong Express Airways, Mandarin Airlines and Uni Air. Summary of flights through Hong Kong and Macau are as follows:

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1em auto; font-size:97%; text-align:left;"
|+Cross-straits flights between Taiwan and Hong Kong/Macau<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hongkongairport.com/en/flights/departures/passenger.page|title=Passenger Departures, Flights|website=Hong Kong International Airport}}</ref><ref>[http://www.macau-airport.gov.mo/en/index.php [Macau International Airport&#93;] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090316070048/http://www.macau-airport.gov.mo/en/index.php |date=2009-03-16 }}</ref>
|-
!Airline||Third destination airport||Taiwanese airport||Flights per week<br />(Week commencing<br />16 June 2008)||Remarks
|-
|[[Cathay Pacific]]||[[Hong Kong International Airport]]||[[Taipei Taoyuan International Airport]]||108||
|-
|[[China Airlines]]||[[Hong Kong International Airport]]||[[Taipei Taoyuan International Airport]]||93||
|-
|[[Dragonair]]||[[Hong Kong International Airport]]||[[Taipei Taoyuan International Airport]]||28||
|-
|[[EVA Air]]||[[Hong Kong International Airport]]||[[Taipei Taoyuan International Airport]]||56||
|-
|[[Thai Airways International]]||[[Hong Kong International Airport]]||[[Taipei Taoyuan International Airport]]||7||Through-traffic from Bangkok only
|-
|[[China Airlines]]||[[Hong Kong International Airport]]||[[Kaohsiung International Airport]]||12||
|-
|[[Dragonair]]||[[Hong Kong International Airport]]||[[Kaohsiung International Airport]]||35||
|-
|[[Mandarin Airlines]]||[[Hong Kong International Airport]]||[[Kaohsiung International Airport]]||17||
|-
|[[Dragonair]]||[[Hong Kong International Airport]]||[[Taichung Airport]]||7||
|-
|[[Hong Kong Express Airways]]||[[Hong Kong International Airport]]||[[Taichung Airport]]||7||
|-
|[[Mandarin Airlines]]||[[Hong Kong International Airport]]||[[Taichung Airport]]||14||
|-
|[[Uni Air]]||[[Hong Kong International Airport]]||[[Taichung Airport]]||11||
|-
|[[Air Macau]]||[[Macau International Airport]]||[[Taipei Taoyuan International Airport]]||56||
|-
|[[EVA Air]]||[[Macau International Airport]]||[[Taipei Taoyuan International Airport]]||28||
|-
|[[TransAsia Airways]]||[[Macau International Airport]]||[[Taipei Taoyuan International Airport]]||42||
|-
|[[Air Macau]]||[[Macau International Airport]]||[[Kaohsiung International Airport]]||18||
|-
|[[EVA Air]]||[[Macau International Airport]]||[[Kaohsiung International Airport]]||14||
|-
|[[TransAsia Airways]]||[[Macau International Airport]]||[[Kaohsiung International Airport]]||14||
|}

Conversely, liberation of the three links may have adverse economic consequences on Hong Kong. The [[Hong Kong Airport Authority]]'s chairman [[Victor Fung (businessman)|Victor Fung Kwok-king]] estimated up to 6% reduction in air travel through Hong Kong as a result of direct China-Taiwan flights.<ref name="chinapost1">[http://www.chinapost.com.tw/business/asia/%20taiwan/2008/06/05/159585/Direct-links.htm Direct links could cost HK 6% of traffic - The China Post]</ref> The city's tourism operators estimated losses of over HK$3 billion annually should the three links be liberated in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2c913216495213d5df646910cba0a0a0/?vgnextoid=7080fafdff297110VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=teaser|title=SCMP.com - the online edition of South China Morning Post, Hong Kong's premier English-language newspaper}}</ref> A possible 6.6% reduction in tourism in Hong Kong may be limited in economic impact as transit passengers typically spend far less during transit, but it may have significant impact on Hong Kong-based airlines, in particular Cathay Pacific and its affiliate Dragonair.<ref name="tdctrade1"/> It was reported on 18 May 2008 that Taiwan's China Airlines intents to trim its Taiwan-Hong Kong flights by two to three flights per day once direct flights resume in July 2008,<ref name="chinapost1"/> but the airline denied this, saying "when cross-strait relations improve and market trends are clearer, then we'll make a specific plan".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/International_Business/China_Airlines_has_no_immediate_plan_to_cut_HK_flights/articleshow/3052301.cms|title=China Airlines has no immediate plan to cut HK flights- International Business-News-The Economic Times}}</ref> Chinese Premier [[Wen Jiabao]] believes Hong Kong will not be affected as the increased economic exchange may benefit the city too.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0330/breaking20.htm|title=Wen offers Taiwan talks - The Irish Times - Sun, March 30, 2008|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] }}</ref> In the immediate aftermath of the announcements for 4 July direct flights, shares of Cathay Pacific fell by 1.8% over fears of its negative impact on the airline, which derives significant profits from the route.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110604010647/http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2008/06/13/afx5113106.html Hong Kong shares close lower led by China stocks, property developers UPDATE - Forbes.com]</ref> Shares of [[Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport]] and [[Shanghai Airlines]] gained 1.18% and 1.27% respectively over expectations of possible gains from the deal.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20201021024854/https://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/reuters/2008/06/13/2008-06-13T081355Z_01_SHA27635_RTRIDST_0_MARKETS-CHINA-STOCKS-CLOSE-UPDATE-1.html Forbes.com] Forbes.com</ref>

===Air services===
[[File:Air China Airbus A330-343 B-6523 on Final Approach at Taipei Songshan Airport 20150321b.jpg|thumb|   [[Air China]] – the flag carrier of the PRC — is required to cover the PRC flag painted on the body of their aircraft when flying to Taiwan.]]
Gradual liberalization has paved the way for direct cooperation between airlines from both sides. China Southern Airlines and China Airlines announced their intention to seal a strategic cooperation contract on 23 June 2008 for cooperation on the weekend chartered flights, soon after the announcement of their liberalization.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200806/20080613/article_363100_2.htm|title=Mainland, Taiwan ink deal to boost flights, tourism - Shanghai Daily &#124; 上海日报 - English Window to China New}}</ref> Officials from each of the three largest Chinese airlines also flew to Taiwan with attempts to negotiate with Taiwanese airlines on cooperation deals, with likely cooperation between all parties in areas including marketing, ground services, maintenance and airline catering.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1685810/|title=Taiwan's China Airlines to cooperate with Air China, 2 others - report}}</ref>

The impending competition also prompted the main Chinese airlines to embark on a publicity blitz, highlighting their intentions to provide their best aircraft, crew and service to passengers, including customized [[airline meal|in-flight meal]]s to suit tastes from both sides.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-06/17/content_6768193.htm|title=Flying across Straits|website=www.chinadaily.com.cn}}</ref>

Announced ticket prices for the first flights were shown to be almost similar to those requiring a stopover, negating expectations of the direct flights depressing ticket prices except on the Xiamen-Taipei route. This was due to high fuel costs, but prices were not expected to rise further.<ref>Beijing Capital International Airport</ref>

===Ship routes===
In December 2015, the [[Huangqi, Lianjiang County|Huangqi]]-[[Matsu Islands|Matsu]] ship route was introduced as part of the Mini Three Links.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://xiamen.chinadaily.com.cn/2019-12/16/c_432509.htm|title=Huangqi-Matsu route sees increasing traffic|date=16 December 2019|access-date=19 March 2020|website=[[China Daily]]|quote=the Huangqi-Matsu ship route{...}was first introduced in December 2015,{...}The Huangqi-Matsu ship route, the fastest route between the mainland and Matsu, is one of Fujian province's four "Mini Three Links",}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20151224000903-260302|script-title=zh:北竿到黃岐 小三通再添新航線|language=zh-tw|date=24 December 2015|access-date=19 March 2020|website=[[China Times]]|author=Chen Chien-Yu {{lang|zh-tw|陳建瑜}}}}</ref>