First Direct Flight Between China and Taiwan

The return flight from Taiwan to Beijing was broadcast live on Chinese state television. With the chartered flights, for the first time people had opportunity to fly between the island and Chinese mainland. At a ceremony to mark the flight flight officials remarked that this would affect relations positively. The first plane coming from Taiwan, 160 km from China, reached to Beijing at midday. People in Taiwan used to come to China via a transfer in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or the Macao Special Administrative Region. Taiwan declared its independence in the civil war in 1949.