China’s mainland would work hard toward launching charter flights across the Taiwan Straits during the Spring Festival holidays, a spokesman said Sunday.

The mainland hoped direct charter flights could be operated by airlines on both sides of the Straits, said a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

The spokesperson said direct charter flights would meet the needs of Taiwan businessmen working on the mainland, and cut the operating costs of airlines involved.

"We have noticed that for some time the major leaders and relevant departments of Taiwan had advocated launching direct charter flights operated by airlines on both sides of the Straits for the coming Spring Festival," the spokesman said.

It was the sincere hope of the mainland that "they can keep their word" and create conditions for the chartered planes to take off, he said.

The mainland had also noticed that some airline executives in Taiwan had expressed their willingness to come to the mainland for talks over the charter flights, said the spokesperson.

"We welcome them to come and are willing to exchange views with them," said the spokesman.

Air and sea exchanges across the Taiwan Straits have been routed through Hong Kong, Macao or other ports.

In 2003, six Taiwanese carriers ran charter flights between Shanghai and Taiwan for the Spring Festival, with stops in Hong Kong or Macao, to take Taiwanese working on the mainland home for the holiday.

There were no charter flights during the 2004 Spring Festival.

(Shenzhen Daily January 4, 2005)