Top legislator holds talks with Hungarian parliament speaker

China's top legislator Zhao Leji held talks with Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly Laszlo Kover in Beijing on Tuesday afternoon, with both sides pledging to leverage the role of the legislative bodies of the two countries to enhance bilateral relations.

Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said China is ready to work with Hungary to deliver on the important consensus between the leaders of the two countries, consolidate the momentum of high-level exchanges, strengthen strategic communication and coordination, and jointly create a bright future.

China appreciates Hungary's long-term commitment to a friendly policy toward China and its adherence to the one-China principle, said Zhao.

He said China is willing to strengthen policy coordination with Hungary in various fields, firmly support each other on issues that bear on respective core interests, and consolidate the political foundation of China-Hungary friendship. The two countries should seek greater synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Hungary's Opening to the East policy, advance the construction of the Hungary-Serbia Railway, upgrade the level of cooperation in all aspects and strengthen public support for friendly relations between the two countries. Both sides should promote sustained development of the cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) and contribute more to the steady and sustained growth of China-Europe relations, Zhao said.

Noting that China stands ready to implement the memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries and further strengthen exchanges and interactions at various levels, Zhao said the two sides should leverage the role of legislative bodies in promoting trade and investment facilitation, enhancing connectivity, and optimizing the business environment, thus creating a stable and reliable legal environment for practical cooperation between the two countries.

Kover said that Hungary firmly adheres to the one-China principle. The country is willing to take the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relationship between the two countries as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields including the BRI, trade and investment, the construction of Hungary-Serbia Railway and people-to-people exchanges, and promote the development of CEEC-China cooperation and the Europe-China relations.

The Hungarian National Assembly is ready to enhance friendly exchanges with the NPC to make positive contributions in promoting bilateral ties, said Kover.

Kover is leading a delegation to visit China from Nov 5 to 12 at the invitation of Zhao.

Top legislator holds talks with Hungarian parliament speaker

Sunday marked the 16th anniversary of the opening of the "mini three links" across the Taiwan Strait, comprising air, sea, and postal services, which have significantly enhanced cross-Strait connectivity.

The Wutong Ferry Terminal in Xiamen City of east China's Fujian Province is a bustling hub offering a round-trip service between Xiamen and Kinmen of China's Taiwan region.

Initially launched in 2001, the route became part of the broader "mini three links" in 2008 and has since transported over 20 million passengers.

Its service was suspended for almost three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was resumed in January last year. Since resumption, the round-trip operations have increased from two per day to 20, serving more than 1.15 million passenger trips in total.

"For those regular commuters traveling back and forth frequently, their biggest need is to clear customs quickly as soon as they arrive. It has to be fast and efficient. Therefore, we have established the nation's largest quick customs clearance information collection point for compatriots in Taiwan at the ferry terminal," said Chen Jinlai, deputy chief of the Gaoqi Border Inspection Station of Xiamen Entry and Exit Border Inspection Station.

"The ferry is quite comfortable within the mini three links," said a passenger from Kinmen.

"I've been taking the ferry at the Wutong terminal for over a decade," said another passenger from Kaohsiung in Taiwan.

Many travelers from the mainland, especially those from Fujian to the islands of Kinmen and Matsu, can be seen after the resumption of travel.

"We will travel there (Kinmen) for two days. The customs clearance is basically self-service. There's the fast channel for senior people on wheelchairs. It's very convenient," said a passenger from the mainland.

"I traveled [to Kinmen] before. But this is my first time riding a bicycle there," said another passenger from the mainland.

In Xiamen, the cross-Strait postal service also plays an important role in communication across the Strait. At a mail processing center with the China Post, staff have been busy sorting packages sent between the mainland and the Taiwan region.

"Since our mail exchange center started operation in 2008, we have processed thousands of mails and parcels on a daily basis. On July 30 this year, we resumed the two-way mail route between Xiamen and Kinmen," said Cai Chunmei, head of the Xiamen-Taiwan Mail Exchange Center.

These services are an epitome of the "mini three links" across the Taiwan Strait. Since 2008 or even much before that, they have facilitated the flow of people, goods, and capital, playing a substantial role in enhancing common interests, especially for the people of the Taiwan region.

Cross-Strait direct links foster closer ties with growing connectivity