A long, loud blast from the vessel
Quanzhou's horn signaled the inauguration of a new direct shipping
service between the city in southeastern Fujian Province and Jinmen in Taiwan.
This is the third such sea link between the Chinese mainland and
the region of Taiwan. The other routes, between Xiamen-Jinmen and
Mawei-Mazu, opened in 2001.
Over a 130 Taiwanese business people and tourists were the first
passengers on board yhe Quanzhou which left Shijing Port for Jinmen
at 9:40 AM on Thursday to begin its maiden voyage on the new
route.
Just over an hour later the New Golden Dragon vessel carrying 200
Taiwanese left Jinmen port and arrived at Quanzhou at 12:05
AM.
The new passenger only route will tighten economic ties across the
Taiwan Straits but also opens a doorway to direct shipping services
between the Chinese mainland and the main island of Taiwan, said He
Shaochuan, deputy director of the Subcommittee for Hong Kong, Macao
and Taiwan Compatriots and Overseas Chinese under the National
Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative
Conference.
"There's only 14 nautical miles between the ports of Shijing and
Jinmen so many Taiwanese are doing business in Quanzhou." said Li
Chao-shui, captain of the Quanzhou. "The new route should have
opened years earlier."
Chen Cheng-nan, who opened a porcelain factory at Quanzhou in 1992,
came to see the vessel leave port.
"I've waited for the opening of the new route for more than a
decade and finally the dream has come true," said Chen. He is a
former chairman of the Taiwan Business Peoples' Association in
Quanzhou.
The vessel will make the hour-long voyage between Quanzhou and
Jinmen ports twice a day, according to operators Cosco Kinxin
Marine Transport Corporation.
As of April more than 1.4 million passengers and 3.96 million tons
of freight have been transported since the other two direct
shipping routes opened in 2001.These links have become known
informally as the 'golden traffic lines.'
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
(Xinhua News Agency June 9, 2006)