At the Strait Forum, airlines from both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have decided to slash cross strait airfares by 10 to 15 percent, effective since Sunday.

Li Jiaxiang, director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, says in addition, the mainland will build 4 new airports and renovate 4 others. These will be in the West Strait Economic District, a mainland region close to Taiwan, encompassing 21 cities and several southeast provinces. The number of cross strait flights will also be increased to 420 per week from the current 380.