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Comment (By Ralph Jennings
TAIPEI, July 4 (Reuters) - Historic flights between Taiwanand China began taking off on Friday, ushering in the firstwave of what could become millions of Chinese visitors to theisland as relations warm between the long-time rivals.
The first of the flights, a China Southern Airlines(1055.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) (600029.SS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) plane, departed from Guangzhou insouthern China early in the morning, the mainland's Xinhua newsagency reported.
No regular direct flights, aside from a few charters onselect holidays, have flown since 1949, when defeatedNationalist forces fled to Taiwan after the Chinese civil war.
China claims sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan and hasvowed to bring the island under its rule, by force ifnecessary.
"Opening Taiwan to mainland China tourists is an importantpolicy of the current government," Ta...
