Relations between Taiwan and the mainland entered a new stage yesterday as hundreds of mainland Chinese tourists arrived on the island on the first regular commercial flights in six decades. Taiwan's China Airlines also flew more than 300 Taiwanese directly across the Taiwan Strait on a charter flight to Shanghai earlier in the day.
 
The launch of regular direct flight service is expected to give the island's tourist industry a much needed shot in the arm, and will likely lead to closer and warmer cross-strait ties in the economic and cultural spheres. In the end, it may prove to be the beginning of a deeper mutual understanding between the people on the two sides.

For decades, direct flights across the Strait were prevented by the fact that the two sides were technically still at war. Tensions in recent years have lessened somewhat, making it possible for the start of very limited charter flights, but regular direct commercial flight service did not begin until yesterday.

Official talks about such flight links got under way last month. Both sides decided that the links were a mutually beneficial move necessary to build stronger cross-strait ties and reduce tensions.

The steps could contribute to economic integration and eventual political unification. The Ma administration has promised to ease investment restrictions to boost Taiwanese industries' competitiveness. Tens of thousands of Taiwanese entrepreneurs have set up factories or offices on the mainland to take advantage of lower labor costs.

It is estimated that an average of approximately 3,000 mainlanders will come to Taiwan per day as sightseers. Their arrivals will reportedly bring an annual NT$60 billion (US$2 billion) to the Taiwan economy and give birth to 40,000 jobs per year.

The government here should work extra hard to improve the tourist facilities so as to make mainland travelers enjoy their trips here and to attract more mainlanders.

The benefits of the direct flight links cannot be measured in economic terms only. The historical moves are more valuable in that they can help the island and the mainland build up a good rapport.

Taiwan and the mainland are tied historically, ethnically, culturally, and linguistically. The two sides have been politically split due to the implementation of communism on the mainland. In our opinion, communism in China is becoming history and the political differences between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will diminish steadily and vanish eventually as time passes.