China's largest airline in terms of fleet size, China Southern Airlines, opened a subsidiary on the Taiwan island Thursday.

China Southern Airlines was among the first batch of enterprises from the Chinese mainland to obtain business licenses and set up branches in Taiwan.

The airlines would provide transportation for passengers across the Taiwan Strait, said board Chairman Si Xianmin.

The company had decided to allocate 10 million new Taiwan dollars ($303,030) to help relieve disasters caused by Typhoon Morakot, the worst to hit Taiwan in nearly half a century.

The Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air and sea transport and postal services on December 15 last year, ending a 59-year ban on such links.

Previously, air and sea services, including mail, had to be rerouted through a third location.

(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2009)