The Chinese mainland on Friday urged breakthroughs in achieving direct transport links across the Taiwan Straits so as to push forward the normal development of cross-Straits economic ties.

Jia Qinglin, member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China and the chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, delivers a speech during the opening of the Cross-Straits Economic and Trade in Beijing April 14, 2006. [Reuters]

The two sides should hold talks to regularize and normalize charter flights, which were launched during the past three Spring Festivals, said Jia Qinglin, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), at the opening of a cross-Straits economic and trade forum.

Jia expressed the hope that the aviation industries on the two sides of the Straits can deal with relevant problems flexibly and practically according to market demand, in a bid to gain substantive progress.

On the direct links on the sea, Jia suggested non-governmental organizations in the mainland and Taiwan hold consultations and reach consensus.

At the current stage, the direct transport of non-tariff farm produce from Taiwan to the mainland could be taken as a pacesetter for that of all agricultural products, said Jia, also chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top advisory body.

"We should step up the process of direct, two-way and comprehensive 'three direct links' (in mail, transport and trade) across the Straits," he said.

Honorary Chairman Lien Chan of the Taiwan-based Chinese Kuomintang party also underlined the importance of direct links at the forum.

"We have to face up to the problem of the 'three direct links'," said Lien.

"We stayed on the airplane for eight or nine hours before our arrival on the mainland yesterday. This took us almost the same time to fly from Taiwan to Hawaii," he said.

Although the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan has agreed on the charter flights across the Straits, it gives the public the impression that it would not take action unless it was pushed hard to move ahead, he said.