(From L to R) Chen Yunlin, president of the Chinese mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, Li Shenglin, Chinese minister of communications, Lien Chan, Kuomintang honorary chairman, Zhang Gaoli, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and chief of the CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee, Zheng Wantong, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Wang Yi, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of China's State Council (Cabinet), attend the ceremony marking the start of direct sea transport between China's mainland and Taiwan in north China's Tianjin port, Dec. 15, 2008. The Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air and sea transport and postal services Monday morning. (Xinhua/Liu Haifeng)
Passengers from southeast China's Taiwan gesture before boarding the plane at the airport in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 15, 2008. A Shenzhen Airlines flight took off from the Shenzhen Airport for Taiwan at 7:20 Beijing Time (2320 GMT Dec. 14), the first when the Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air and sea transport and postal services Monday morning. (Xinhua Photo)
Mainland resident Zheng Jian, 81, who was born in southeast China's Taiwan, posts a letter to his Taiwan relatives at the ceremony marking the start of direct postal service between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 15, 2008. The Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air and sea transport and postal service Monday morning. (Xinhua/Wang Yongji)
A ceremony for the start of direct sea transport between China's mainland and southeast China's Taiwan is held at Mawei Port of in Fuzhou, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province, Dec. 15, 2008. The Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air and sea transport and postal services Monday morning. (Xinhua/Zhang Guojun)
A cargo vessel leaves for Mawei port of southeast China's Taiwan, from Fuzhou, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province, Dec. 15, 2008. The Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air and sea transport and postal services Monday morning. (Xinhua/Zhang Guojun)
A cargo vessel leaves for Keelung Port in southeast China's Taiwan, from Mawei port in Fuzhou, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province, Dec. 15, 2008. The Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air and sea transport and postal services Monday morning. (Xinhua/Zhang Guojun)
Liu Chao-shiuan (L), head of Taiwan's "Executive Yuan", presents a plaque commemorating the direct sea transport to a representative of the shipping companys at a ceremony marking the start of direct sea transport between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan at Keelung Harbor of southeast China's Taiwan, Dec. 15, 2008. The Chinese mainland and Taiwan started direct air and sea transport and postal service Monday morning. (Xinhua/Chen Binhua)