Hey there, friends! 🌏 Did you know that 15 years ago, the skies, seas, and mailboxes across the Taiwan Straits opened up like never before? 🚀✈️📬 Let's explore how the 'Three Direct Links' have connected people and transformed lives since 2009!
Breaking Barriers and Bridging People 🎉
Back in 1979, the Chinese mainland reached out with a heartfelt \"Message to Compatriots in Taiwan\", advocating for peaceful reunification and proposing direct exchanges between the two sides. Fast forward to August 31, 2009, and voilà! The 'Three Direct Links'—flights, shipping, and postal services—officially launched. ✈️🚢📮
Since then, hopping across the Taiwan Straits has become as easy as catching a bus! 🚍 The number of people traveling has skyrocketed, enriching social interactions and cultural exchanges. In 2015, for example, 4 million visitors from the Chinese mainland explored the Taiwan region, making up 40% of its inbound tourists! 🌟 Tourism boomed, creating jobs and boosting the economy.
However, in recent years, the Taiwan authorities have placed restrictions on some mainland tourists entering the island, leading to a record tourism deficit of 443.6 billion NT dollars in 2023. 😕 Despite this, the connections established by the 'Three Direct Links' continue to benefit people on both sides.
The Digital Bridge 🌐💻
But it's not just about traveling! The 'Three Direct Links' also opened up an information superhighway. 🚀🌐 After postal services kicked off in 2009, letters and parcels flew across the Straits like never before. By 2019, over 100 million letters and 5 million parcels had connected friends and families. 💌📦
In our digital era, it's even cooler! 🎉 Thanks to the cross-Straits submarine telecommunications cable, residents of Taiwan are shopping on Taobao 🛍️, chatting on Weibo 💬, and binge-watching shows on Bilibili 📺. The internet has become a bridge, bringing hearts closer and building shared experiences.
Looking Ahead 🌟
Fifteen years on, the 'Three Direct Links' continue to weave stories of connection, friendship, and shared dreams across the Taiwan Straits. 🌠 As we look to the future, let's celebrate these bridges that bring us together and imagine what new adventures lie ahead! 🚀🌟
Reference(s):
Achievements and implications: 15 years of 'three direct links'
cgtn.com
