iwanese passengers flew to China yesterday in the first wave of regular cross-straits commercial flights in nearly six decades that could transform ties between the old foes. On the first day of the operation, a total of 753 Chinese people, including 622 tourists, 31 officials and 60 news reporters and photographers, arrived in Taiwan on nine flights from China.
There were also Taiwanese business persons and tourists aboard the flights returning home here.
The first flight, a China Southern Airlines plane carrying 230 passengers, touched down at Taoyuan International Airport in northern Taiwan in early morning, and fire trucks shot water at it in a welcome gesture.
"From today onward, regular commercial flights will replace the rumbling warplanes over the skies of the Taiwan Strait, and relations between the two sides will become better and better," said Liu Shaoyong, chairman of the Chinese airline, after the 90-minute flight from Guangzhou in southern China.
Liu, a pilot with 30 years of flying experience, personally piloted the Airbus jet for the maiden flight.
Liu said he and the tourists were overwhelmed by the extremely warm Taiwanese hospitality.
However, the passenger who first completed customs clearance and walked out of the airport terminal was not a Chinese tourist but Taiwanese businessmen Yu Shih-liang aboard Liu's plane for the home trip.
With broad smiles, Yu had the national flags of both the Republic of China here and the People's Republic of China on the Chinese mainland on each side of his luggage trolley.
Yu, who has been doing business for years in Guangzhou, said the convenient direct flights will allow him to take more home trips in the future.
Top visiting official
Shao Qiwei, director of the China National Tourism Administration, was the most senior Chinese official on the inaugural weekend direct cross-strait charter flights to Taiwan.
Arriving with other Chinese tourism officials, reporters, and tourists on the maiden flight, Shao is visiting Taiwan in his capacity as president of the Beijing-based Cross Strait Tourism Exchange Association.
Shao was met upon his arrival at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport by his Taiwanese counterpart -- Janice Lai, director general of the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
Lai plays host for Shao and other Chinese officials in her capacity as president of the Taipei-based Tourism and Travel Association Across the Taiwan Strait.
In a short speech delivered at the airport, Shao offered his appreciation to people from both Taiwan and China who have made efforts to make the launch of the weekend direct cross-strait charter flights possible.
He expressed the hope that the July 4-7 historic flights will mark a good beginning for smooth tourism operations across the Taiwan Strait in the future.
Before boarding an Air China flight from Beijing,
Shao said the regular flights will "build a bridge of friendship" with Taiwan's 23 million "hospitable compatriots."
"The start of mainland tourists... will create a scenic route across the strait," Shao said at the Beijing airport, referring to the Taiwan Strait.
Shao visited Taiwan before. He last visited Taiwan in late October 2005 at the invitation of the Taiwan Visitors Association.
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