英语新闻初一简单

China, Taiwan direct travel to start today 204 words15 December 2008The Wall Street Journal Asia10English(c) 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. To see the edition in which this article appeared, click here http://awsj.com.hk/factiva-ns[http://awsj.com.hk/factiva-ns]TAIPEI -- China and Taiwan will start a new era of direct air and shipping services Monday when planes and ships travel directly across the Taiwan Strait, formally ending a six-decade ban on regular links.Relations have improved between the once-bitter rivals since Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou took office in May and moved to reverse the pro-independence policy of his predecessor, Chen Shui-bian.China has reacted warmly, and although the mainland still claims sovereignty over the self-governed island, both have agreed to set aside thorny political disputes to focus on trade and economics. The two sides split amid civil war in 1949.The first Taiwanese ships are scheduled to leave from the island's Kaohsiung and Keelung harbors for Chinese ports about noon Monday. Ships with mainland companies are to sail vessels to Taiwan from Shanghai and Tianjin.Up to 60 cargo flights a month will start to fly Monday between Taiwan and the mainland. Daily passenger flights will also start, with 16 scheduled Monday, in an expansion of weekend charter services inaugurated in July.