Officials in talks on Strait shipping

Source: Xinhua  |   2008-12-9  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

MAINLAND and Taiwan officials are discussing practical arrangements for direct shipping across the Taiwan Strait, hoping to prevent excessive competition, a senior mainland official said in Taipei yesterday.

Direct shipping is due to begin next Monday, said Hu Hanxiang, president of the mainland-based Association for Shipping Exchanges Across the Taiwan Strait, who has led a delegation to Taiwan since last Tuesday.

The first harbors in the mainland to be opened will be Tianjin, Shanghai, Taicang in Jiangsu Province and one port in Fujian Province, he said.

The two sides agreed on an equal participation and orderly competition in the direct shipping business, he said.

There are more than 4,400 shipping companies in the mainland. "They all hoped to dabble in cross-Strait business but, if we allow all of them in, there will be risks of excessive competition," he said.