新华网台北11月4日电　海协会会长陈云林与海基会董事长江丙坤4日14时许在台北就两岸海运直航、平日包机、邮政、食品安全等四项议题签署了协议。协议签署后，江丙坤赠与陈云林一幅写有“和平协商，共创双赢”的匾额，陈云林回赠以一尊代表握手形象的雕塑。参与签署仪式的两会主要领导人举杯相庆。据称，采取空中直达航路之后，台北到北京的飞航时间只需2个多小时，到上海只需80多分钟。稍后，两会将分别举行记者会说明相关情况。

TAIPEI, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland and Taiwan agreed Tuesday to allow civilian planes and ships to directly cross the Taiwan Straits.The mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) president, Chen Yunlin, and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) chairman, Chiang Pin-kung, signed agreements on direct shipping and flights, postal services and food safety during their first ever summit in Taipei on Tuesday.

The agreements are expected to end a situation that has prevailed since 1949 that air and shipping transport between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan had to transfer through a third place.As the two main negotiating bodies of the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, the ARATS and the SEF agreed to set up a direct air route between Shanghai and Taipei. They will continue negotiating another route linking the southern part of Taiwan with the mainland, said the agreement on direct flights.Direct flight from Taipei to Shanghai is only about 80 minutes but, under current weekend charter flight service, lasts two hours and 42 minutes as the planes have to fly over Hong Kong.The two sides agreed to launch a cargo charter flight service between two mainland terminals, Shanghai Pudong and Guangzhou airports, and two Taiwan ones, Taoyuan and Kaohsiung.Every month 60 return cargo flights will fly, divided half and half between mainland and Taiwan airline companies.

In addition, the two sides will launch regular passenger charter flights, instead of only at weekends and the four major traditional festivals.The mainland also agreed to open another 16 terminals for passenger charter flights, besides five already opened, while Taiwan has already opened eight terminals.The number of flights will increase to 108 every week, also divided half and half between the two sides. And the number will be adjusted according to the demand, the agreement said.Under the weekend charter flight service adopted in June, 36 return flights were operated across the Straits.

ARATS President Chen Yunlin and SEF chairman Chiang Pin-kung also discussed issues concerning increasing the number of mainland tourists to Taiwan, making joint efforts to deal with the international financial crisis, and expanding economic exchanges across the Straits.

According to the agreement on direct post, mail services including letters and parcels delivery, express mail services and postal remittance, will be made available across the Straits, while other forms of postal services will also be strengthened.

Both sides across the Taiwan Straits will provide each other with food safety updates and food trade information, and establish a mechanism to deal with major food safety incidents.

"With the four agreements, direct transport and mail services that compatriots on both sides have been longing for over the past30 years has become a reality, and will provide more convenient channels for cross-Straits economic exchanges," said Chen.

Chen said that the ARATS and the SEF would focus on discussion about the cross-Straits financial collaborations in the next stage of talks, while expanding cultural and social exchanges would also be on the agenda.He said that the mainland was considering a plan to allow residents across the mainland to travel to Taiwan.

Since July 20, residents in the municipalities of Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Chongqing, and the provinces of Liaoning, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, Hubei, Guangdong, Yunnan and Shaanxi have been allowed to visit Taiwan in groups, under an agreement between the mainland and Taiwan concerned authorities.

Chen said tourism companies on both sides suggested that the tourist groups traveling to Taiwan should be composed of at least five people, while under the current rule, the minimal was 10.He said that the ARATS agreed with the suggestion, and hoped that with increased chartered flights on weekdays, the mainland could further increase the number of tourists to Taiwan.

Chen said the mainland would send a pair of giant pandas as gifts to Taiwan by the end of this year. The other gift would be Nyssaceae seed, an endangered flowering plant that grows in Sichuan Province. He hoped that they would be sown in Taiwan soil.

On behalf of the ARATS, Chen would accept two rare animals from Taiwan. One is an indigenous goat with the scientific name of naemorhedus swinhoei, the other is a spotted deer.Chen said he would carry the affection of the Taiwan people back to the mainland.