page_title: Three Links
section_title: Limited liberalization
hierarchical_section_title: Three Links / History / Limited liberalization
caption_attribution_description: English: Quanjin Ferry Terminal - A terminal for Quanzhou (Shijing) - Jinmen ferries in Shijing Town, Nan'an County, Quanzhou. 中文（简体）‎: 泉金客运码头 中文（繁體）‎: 泉金客運碼頭
context_page_description: The Three Links or Three Linkages was a 1979 proposal from the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China to open up postal, transportation, and trade links between China and Taiwan, with the goal of unifying Mainland China and Taiwan.
  Before the establishment of the "Three Links", communication between the two sides were routed through intermediate destinations, primarily Hong Kong; Macau; Jeju, South Korea and Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The "Three Links" were officially established on 15 December 2008, with the commencement of direct flights, shipping and post.
context_section_description: Under the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government, gradual steps were taken to lift restrictions on the three links. The so-called Little Three Links, also referred to as Mini Three Links or Three Small Links (小三通; xiǎo sān tōng) allows for limited postal, transportation, and trade links between the People's Republic of China's Fujian province cities of Xiamen, Mawei and Quanzhou, and the islands of Kinmen and Matsu, which are administered by the Republic of China. When introduced in January 2001, they allowed only those with household registrations in Kinmen and Matsu to use the trade links, as well as China-based Taiwan businessmen. Travels must be done in groups. Restrictions were lifted to allow individual travelers, as well as to open the routes to former residents and relatives of Kinmen and Matsu. Quanzhou was also added to the list in the same year.
  The ferry trip, which takes as little as 20 minutes, involved regular routes connecting Kinmen 
  to the ports of Xiamen and Quanzhou, and Matsu  to Mawei. Occasional trips were also made between Kinmen and Meizhou, a popular religious site. The routes saw 21,377 entries and exits in 2001. It ballooned to 341,152 in 2006, but still represents a small part of overall trade.
  In early 2002 a China Airlines flight to Hong Kong crashed into the Taiwan strait killing all 225 people on board. The majority of the passengers were intending to transfer at Hong Kong for flights to mainland China. Relatives of the victims advocated for direct cross-strait flights.
  In early 2003, the Republic of China (ROC) government permitted its air carriers to ferry Chinese New Year passengers back and forth across the Strait by way of "indirect charter flights" that touched down briefly in Hong Kong or Macau. The ROC and People's Republic of China (PRC) did not repeat the charter flights during the 2004 Chinese New Year, in part because the two sides could not agree on the terms for meetings to discuss how PRC carriers might also participate.
  The two sides agreed to permit cross-strait flights for the Chinese New Year of Rooster in 2005. Unlike the 2003 flights, the 2005 flights did not have to touch down in Hong Kong or Macau, but still must enter its airspace. The first direct commercial flights from China (from Guangzhou) to Taiwan since 1949 arrived in Taipei on January 29, 2005. Shortly afterwards, a China Airlines carrier landed in Beijing. Airports on both sides saw ceremonial displays on the arrival of the first passengers, with dancing lions and dragons, and officials making speeches. For the three-week holiday period, 48 flights were scheduled.
  On 19 July 2006, the first direct chartered all-cargo flight since 1949 operated by China Airlines landed in Shanghai from Taipei. Four other flights were operated, with the last on 10 August 2006 in August 2008.
caption: The mainland China terminal for the Quanzhou-Kinmen ferry, in Shijing Town
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