World

Taiwan Ship Makes Historic Return Trip

December 31, 2000 / 11:23 PM EST / AP

A ship carrying about 500 worshippers of the goddess Matsu returned from China on Friday, completing a historic trip that marked the end of a five-decade ban on direct shipping ties between China and two Taiwanese islands.

Crackling strings of firecrackers greeted the ship Taima after it docked on the island of Matsu. Dressed in matching red jackets, the passengers waved from the deck after the two-hour voyage.

The vessel went to China on Tuesday, becoming the first to legally sail to the mainland since the two sides split amid civil war in 1949.

"During the four days we spent in China, we deeply felt that the people there wished us well and paid great attention to us," said Matsu County Commissioner Liu Lee-chun.

On New Year's Day, Taiwan began allowing limited shipping and trading links between China and the Taiwanese islands of Matsu and Kinmen, both just off China's southeast coast.

The Taiwanese government has touted its new policy as a major goodwill gesture to China. If it is a success, Taiwanese leaders have said they will open direct air, shipping and trade ties between China and Taiwan's main island, separated by the 100-mile-wide Taiwan Strait.

The Matsu boat sailed to the southeastern city of Fuzhou. The 500 passengers went to China to visit a temple for Matsu, the patron of fishers who is popular in Taiwan and southeastern China.

A second boat, the Tai Wu, that left Tuesday for China from Kinmen also returned Friday. Carrying about 190 local officials, the boat sailed to Xiamen, where the Taiwanese met with their Chinese counterparts.

It was the first official meeting between local officials from Taiwan and China. The two sides discussed cultural exchanges and the possibility of expanding links.

At a news conference, Premier Chang Chun-hsiung, Taiwan's No. 3 ranking leader, said he wanted to thank China for accepting the Taiwanese boats and treating their passengers well. He said he hoped the two sides could meet at the bargaining table soon.

The top leaders from the two sides have never met in 52 years, though unofficial visits to China by Taiwanese lawmakers have become common in recent years.