State Council Taiwan Affairs Office: Cross-strait direct flights are a bridge for communication, not a political bargaining chip.

The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council held a routine press conference. A journalist asked: Recently, the civil aviation department announced once again urging the Taiwan authorities to fully restore normal cross-strait air passenger services. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities responded that at the current stage, the actual demand for cross-strait direct flights is not as high as imagined, and the current operational flights are sufficient to meet current needs. What is your comment on this? Spokesperson Zhang Han said that cross-strait air passenger services are a bridge for communication, not a political bargaining chip. The DPP authorities should face the market demand, stop political manipulation, stop hindering cross-strait personnel exchanges, let cross-strait air passenger services return to serve the people and promote exchanges, and provide a smooth, convenient, and efficient air route for compatriots on both sides of the strait.