The Chinese mainland will take more active and practical
measures to realize the "direct link" in post and
telecommunications across the Taiwan Straits, said an official with
the Ministry of Information Industry (MII) Sunday.
These are part of the measures to realize the "Three Direct
Links" in mail, transport and trade so as to boost cross-Straits
cooperation and reunify the country at an early date, said the
official of the ministry's Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan affairs
office.
Thanks to efforts made by departments on both sides, some
cross-Straits postal and telecommunications businesses had been
launched.
Last year, mail sent between the two sides totaled 9.83 million
tons, 320 percent higher than 1989.
Since 1989, phone calls made by mainlanders to Taiwan have
increased by 10 percent every year, totaling 340 million minutes
and ranking second for calls made by mainlanders to overseas last
year.
Meanwhile, Taiwan's phone calls to the mainland also accounted
for 30 percent of its calls to overseas, ranking first in its
overseas business. Telecommunications companies were allowed to
offer cross-Straits teleconference services at the beginning of
this year.
Despite achievements made so far, many problems still exist in
realizing direct mail, because without direct transport, postal
packages have to be delivered via Hong Kong or Macao. "High mail
transportation cost, slow delivery speed and lack of business has
caused the current mail business to fall short of public
demands."
The mainland, he said, has taken solid steps to realize direct
mail exchange and telecommunications.
As early as in February 1979, the mainland opened a telegraph
business to Taiwan and long-distance call one month later.
Moreover, China's former President Jiang Zemin put forward the
Eight-Point Proposals on China's reunification in January 1995. The
Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPT), MII's predecessor,
also advanced five policy proposals on opening direct mail and
telecommunications services.
The Taiwan authorities should, stressed the official, stop
politicizing the issue of "Three Direct Links" as there are no
technical barriers in realizing the goal of direct links in mail,
transportation and trade.
"We hope to conduct direct talks with our Taiwan counterparts on
details of direct mail and look forward to further cooperation
between telecommunications companies on the two sides,"
(Xinhua News Agency December 22, 2003)