Tapei, Oct 29 - Taiwan and China will open direct sea cargo routes through 14 ports as part of a landmark agreement seen next week, ending decades of costly freight detours required due to sovereignty concerns, local media said on Wednesday.
China has claimed self-ruled Taiwan since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. Beijing has vowed to bring the island back under mainland rule, by force if necessary.
But as new Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou seeks stronger trade and transit ties with Beijing, the two sides will agree during talks from Nov. 3-7 to begin direct shipping between four Taiwan ports and 10 China ports, from Guangzhou in south China to Dalian in the north, local media said.
"If they can achieve direct shipping links, costs will go way down and cargo shipments will become more convenient," said Tsai Ting-Yi, harbour master at the Port of Kaohsiung in Taiwan.
Today, direct shipping is banned due to disputes about which flags each side's ships should fly and what types of personnel can use the other side's ports.
Freighters now detour through Hong Kong or the outlying islands of Japan or South Korea, adding time and expenses. Officials would not confirm the media reports, which come days before Chen Yunlin, China's top negotiator on Taiwan affairs, is due to visit the island for formal talks on direct air routes and food safety as well as cargo shipping.
"I should think we still need to negotiate to come up with the details," said Lai Wei-shen, a shipping section chief under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.