Taipei
A Taiwanese airliner flew to mainland China this week for the first time in more than 50 years. The plane was part of a series of charter flights to bring Taiwanese passengers living in China home to Taiwan for Chinese New Year celebrations. The flights are good news for the half-million Taiwanese who live in the area around Shanghai, but they aren’t without inconveniences. A mandatory stop in Hong Kong or Macao adds four hours to what would be a one-hour hop across the Taiwan Strait. “We hope that the day of direct flights will come soon,” said Han Zheng, deputy mayor of Shanghai. China is Taiwan’s largest export market, and Taiwanese businesses have been pushing for direct flights. But Taiwanese officials fear that China could use such flights to camouflage an attack.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What should you be stockpiling for 'World War Three'?In the Spotlight Britons advised to prepare after the EU tells its citizens to have an emergency kit just in case
-
Carnivore diet: why people are eating only meatThe Explainer 'Meatfluencers' are taking social media by storm but experts warn meat-only diets have health consequences
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human bloodUnder the radar Drugging the bugs
