Direct flights between China and Taiwan have been banned since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, when the Nationalist forces fled to Taiwan, which China has since considered a renegade province. Passengers and cargo must transit through a third point, normally Hong Kong or Macau, on airlines from other countries or territories.
Rules were relaxed in 2003 to allow charter flights during the Chinese new year holidays. From June 2006, China and Taiwan allowed their airlines to operate regular passenger charters during four major holiday periods. In 2006, they also allowed direct air access for charter emergency medical rescue flights.
Source: Flight International
