Cross-strait direct flights 'bridge for communication, not political bargaining chip': spokesperson

(ECNS) - The Chinese mainland on Wednesday urged the Taiwan authorities to fully restore normal cross-strait passenger flights, calling it a "bridge for communication, not a political chip."

At a press briefing, Zhang Han, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said data showed robust demand for direct flights. "Whether demand is high or not, the data speaks for itself," she said.

Zhang said 31,973 cross-strait flights, which carried 5.78 million passengers, were recorded in 2025. In the first quarter of this year, 8,079 flights carried 1.47 million passengers, with passenger numbers posting double-digit growth and load factors exceeding 80%.

Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities had said earlier that demand for direct flights was not as high as expected and that current services were adequate.

Zhang said airlines from the Chinese mainland had largely used up their allocated capacity for cross-strait routes. Under existing arrangements, airlines on both sides can operate up to 890 passenger flights per week between 61 mainland cities and 10 destinations in Taiwan.

She added that cross-strait direct flights are "a bridge for communication, not a political bargaining chip," and called on the island's authorities to stop obstructing travel and resume normal operations.

(By Zhang Jiahao)