Chinese mainland and Taiwan began negotiations on weekend chartered flights here Thursday five years after the service was adopted for major festivals.

Sun Yafu and Li Bingcai, vice chairmen of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), discussed the issue with Kao Koong-lian, vice chairman and secretary-general of Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF).

The talks followed the meeting between ARATS Chairman Chen Yunlin and his Taiwan counterpart Chiang Pin-kun Thursday morning.

The holiday flights were suspended in 2004 over disagreements, but they resumed in 2005.

(Xinhua News Agency June 12, 2008)