Oriental Travel Route Opened

Free passage across the Taiwan Strait,which divides Taiwan from mainland China,is once again possible for both aircraft and ships.The trip is about 100 miles,or 160.93 kilometers.Negotiators reached the agreement by limiting talks to economic matters.Political disagreement continues to separate the neighbors.China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province,while Taiwan sees itself as an independent nation.The direct route will abolish lengthy detours to Hong Kong and Okinawa,Japan that were necessitated by the closure of the Taiwan Strait,reducing the cost of commerce in both time and money.