Direct links: Trips from Kinmen rising

More Kinmen people are visiting China by sailing directly from the outlying island of Kinmen to Xiamen, Fujian Province, since the government further liberalized regulations governing the "small three links." Yesterday, nearly 400 people departed from Kinmen in two ships heading for Xiamen, traveling not only to Fujian Province, but also on to other areas of China. Among the visitors were Kinmen County Commissioner Lee Chu-fen and seven members of his family, including his mother-in-law, a Taiwan resident who is a Kinmen native. A 17-member fact-finding mission from the Kinmen county council, headed by Council Speaker Chuang Liang-shih also embarked on the crossing.