The Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone in Fujian province opened a new shipping route for cargo imported from Taiwan on Sept 9.

Cargo imported from Taiwan is unloaded at the Aoqian Passenger Terminal in the Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone in Fujian province, Sept 5. It is the first batch of Taiwanese cargo to reach Pingtan via the "Mini Three?Links", a pact signed between Fujian and Taiwan's Kinmen and Matsu counties to allow small-scale direct transportation of trade and personnel. [Photo/pingtan.gov.cn]

Taifu No.8, a Taiwanese freighter with a dozen containers on board, docked at the Aoqian passenger port at 8 pm via the "Mini Three Links", a pact signed between Fujian's coastal cities and the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen county and Matsu County that allows small-scale transportation of personnel and cargo.

The freighter set off from Taipei, and stopped in Matsu county, which is about 70 kilometers to the north of Pingtan, before heading on to Pingtan.

The customs clearance of the batch of cargo was handled in a special mode in Pingtan, as the cargo was right away moved to the Taiwan Commodity Market – the final destination – where customs officers then proceeded with customs procedures.

The freighter was launched thanks to the Chinese mainland's relaxed restrictions on petty trade with Taiwan, where tonnage of ships and trade volumes are no longer taken into account. The "Mini Three Links" is not only an important export method for the Taiwan Commodity Market, but also a great complement to the cargo transportation between Pingtan and Taiwan, according to Ma Donggen, deputy director of the Pingtan Economic Development Bureau.

The biggest beneficiaries from the commencement of the freighter are enterprises. As Lai Chongbin, an importer of cargo which comprised hundreds of types of Taiwan food, explained that transferring goods in containers via the "Three Mini Links" has greatly cut the logistics and time costs.

Pingtan will strive to make the "Mini Three Links" freighter operate on a regular basis – say, several trips every week, said Ma.

A high-speed passenger ferry, the Haixia, also shared the cargo shipment from Taiwan. Currently it has to do the unloading in the Jiangyin port in neighboring Fuqing county because there is not yet a standard freight terminal in Pingtan.

But it will soon happen, as Ma revealed that the construction of No.2 and 3 berths at Jidiao Port in Pingtan is under construction and running smoothly, and they are slated to become operational in October, when a direct cargo shipping route between Pingtan and Taiwan will be opened.