SHANGHAI -- A forum of elites from China's mainland and Taiwan has made proposals on pushing forward the realization of direct transport links across the Taiwan Straits.

"Direct chartered passenger plane flights and cargo plane flights across the Straits should be realized as soon as possible," according to the joint proposals issued Friday by the forum, co-sponsored by the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the policy research center of the Taiwan-based People First Party Central Committee.

The proposals call for promoting talks on chartered passenger plane flights on festivals, weekends and normalization of such flights and on chartered cargo plane flights modeled on the talks over the 2005 Spring Festival chartered flights in Macao.

The proposals say that the number of destinations for the chartered passenger flights should be increased and the scope of passengers should be expanded to cover all compatriots of both sides who hold legal and valid documents.

Efforts will be made to realize comprehensive, direct and two-way air links in 2006.

The Chinese mainland will continue to expand cooperation between shipping companies on both sides and boost direct contacts between people in coastal areas of Fujian Province and in Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu.