The Chinese mainland and Taiwan signed Sunday afternoon agreements on launching regular flights across the Taiwan Straits, enhancing financial cooperation, and jointly cracking down on crimes and offering mutual judicial assistance.
 ARATS, SEF sign new agreements

The mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) President Chen Yunlin (R, Front) and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (L, Front) sign agreements at a signing ceremony in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, on April 26, 2009. The Chinese mainland and Taiwan signed here on Sunday afternoon agreements on launching regular flights across the Taiwan Straits, enhancing financial cooperation, and jointly cracking down on crimes and offering mutual judicial assistance.[Sun Can/Xinhua]

The two sides reach an agreement on promoting financial organizations from the mainland and Taiwan to set up branches in each other's side and continue to negotiate on the admittance of financial organizations and related businesses.

The two sides also agreed to jointly set up a system for financial supervision and management.

In addition, they agreed to gradually set up a currency clearing system. Commercial banks are allowed to offer cash exchange services.

The two sides will also cooperate in developing cash anti-counterfeit technology.

The ARATS and the SEF planned to hold the fourth round of talks in Taipei in the later half of 2009.

Open regular direct flights, expand air routes

Top negotiators from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan on Sunday signed an agreement on opening regular direct flights across the Taiwan Strait and expanding air routes and terminals.

Chen Yunlin, president of the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), and Chiang Pin-kung, chairman of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), agreed to start a direct southern air route linking Guangzhou and Taipei, and open another northern route in addition to the same one between Shanghai and Taipei.

They also agreed to add six mainland cities as regular direct passenger flight terminals, making the total to 27. The newly added cities are Hefei, Harbin, Nanchang, Guiyang, Ningbo and Jinan.

Two Taiwan's passenger terminals, Taipei Taoyuan airport and Kaohsiung airport, are entitled to operate regular passenger flights. And six other airports in Taiwan can operate chartered passenger flights.

The mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) President Chen Yunlin (R) and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Chiang Pin-kung attend a signing ceremony in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, on April 26, 2009.[Sun Can/Xinhua]

The weekly number of cross-Strait passenger return flights, both regular and chartered, will increase from the existing 108 to 270.

There would be 28 cargo return flights across the Taiwan Strait each week, including regular flights and chartered ones, according to the agreement.

The two sides also agreed that airline companies should report their regular flight prices to air transport supervisory bodies, the agreement stated.

Air transport supervisors of both sides would set up a liaison mechanism to exchange information, in a timely manner, on "relevant issues" about cross-Strait air transport, the agreement said.

This is another huge step forward in cross-Strait relations. Since last June, the two bodies have signed six agreement on weekend charter flights, tourism, direct shipping, air transport, postal services and food safety.

Vow to jointly fight cross-strait crimes

Top negotiators from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan reached a consensus Sunday on mutual judicial assistance in an attempt to jointly crack down on severe crimes such as murder, smuggling, human trafficking and terrorist activities.