KINMEN Taiwan. Dec 31: Taiwan on Sunday put the finishing touches to preparations lor the opening of three landmark mini-links" between its territory and mainland China, reports AFP.

As of Monday, direct trade, transport and postal semces will be authorised between the outlying Taiwanese Islands of Kinmen and Matsu and the Chinese cities of Fuzhou and Xiamen in Fujian province on the mainland.

The links will be the first of their kind lo be approved between China and Taiwan and there are hopes the highly sym-

bolic initiative could lead to an easing of tensions between the

Although huge amounts ol business are done between Taiwan and China, political tensions mean they are currently largely conducted through Hong Kong and Macau.

The two sides have been at odds since Chinese nationalist forces were forced to flee the mainland in 1949 at the end of a civil war which brought Mao Zedong's communists to power.

Port authorities on Kinmen and Matsu were busy Sunda checking their facilities and software lor the opening ol th-

mini links.

The "Haian ", the ship which will inaugurate the new . ra. was at sea. its crew familiarising themselves with the route between Kinmen and Chinas Xiamen ciiv

Taiwan > ( Inna |X>licy decision-maker appealed to Beijing to eoo|wrate hilly with the im-

"We hope the Chinese communists would provide necessary assistance to the ships and people from Taiwan." Tsai Ing-wen. chairwoman of the island's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), said alter inspecting the preparatory work in Kinmen