Mainland, Taiwan to start two-way postal remittance services

BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Chinese media) -- The Chinese mainland and

Taiwan will start two-way postal remittance services for the first time in 60

years, a mainland official said here Wednesday.

Fan Liqing, a spokeswoman of China's State Council

Taiwan Affairs Office, didn't give an exact start date for the services, but

Taiwan's Chunghwa Post Co. reported earlier that two-way services would begin

mid-February.

"Post offices on the mainland and Taiwan are

conducting technical tests and the service will start soon after the tests are

done," said Fan.

Currently, due to technical reasons, Taiwan's post

offices can provide services for money transfers bound for the mainland, but do

not accept inward remittances from the mainland.

By early February, Taiwan's post offices had almost

completed upgrades for the two-way transfer service, Fan said.

According to Taiwan media, all remittance

transactions will be made in American dollars, with each transfer limited to

30,000 U.S. dollars. Citibank New York will serve as the intermediary bank at

the present stage.

Fan said after the start of two-way postal remittance

services, the two sides will discuss the possibility of cross-strait mail orders

and online order services.

The mainland and Taiwan signed a series of landmark

agreements on direct air, sea and postal services last November in Taipei. Such

direct links formally started on Dec. 15, last year.