Wang Yi, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and also director of State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, delivers a speech at the third Straits Forum in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 12, 2011. (Xinhua/Zhang Guojun)
XIAMEN -- The Chinese mainland and Taiwan on Sunday announced to increase the number of cross-Strait passenger flights by more than 50 percent to 558 per week.
The mainland added four stops for cross-Strait flights in the eastern cities of Yancheng, Wenzhou and Huangshan and the northwestern city of Lanzhou, Wang Yi, head of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, told a centerpiece conference of the weeklong Straits Forum which opened in the mainland's coastal city of Xiamen Saturday.
Taiwan also added the southern city of Tainan as a stop for the flights, he said, adding that there were a total of 50 stops for cross-Strait flights on both sides.
"Both sides agree to regulate air fares of flights from Beijing and Shanghai to Taipei after seriously weighing opinions of people on both sides," Wang said.