TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As Taiwan reopened its borders to tourists from overseas Thursday (Oct. 13), the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said it would consider restarting direct travel links with China during holiday periods.

Ferry services between Taiwan’s outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu and China’s nearby province of Fujian were suspended amid the expansion of the COVID-19 pandemic.

MAC Spokesman Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said that direct ferry services with China could restart during the holidays depending on COVID developments and a general evaluation of the situation. Taiwan’s Nov. 26 local elections were not a factor in those considerations, he said.

Once the necessary evaluations and preparations had been completed, an announcement would be made, CNA reported. MAC emphasized the resumption of the links and of cross-strait contacts formed part of its policy aims.

At present, there was one flight a week between Shanghai and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, but by the end of October, Air China and China Eastern were planning to resume some services, Chiu said. He added that more contacts and discussions between the two sides were necessary for the resumption of more cross-strait flights.

Nevertheless, the return of Chinese tourists to Taiwan was not an immediate priority, according to the MAC.