Fujian and Taiwan have agreed to open a second cross-Straits marine route - from Pingtan to Taipei - in September, xinhuanet.com reported on August 22, citing sources from Pingtan's port authorities.

The highly anticipated route will further boost traffic between the two sides, and a trial voyage conducted on November 30 last year took about three hours.

"The Pingtan-Taipei route will boast a higher number of users than the previous one due to the bigger market in Taipei," said Sun Jun, director of the local port office in Pingtan.

The first cross-Straits marine route – involving the Haixia, a passenger ferry sailing between Pingtan and Taichung - was launched in late 2011. It runs four round trips every week and the ship has carried more than 180,000 people across the Strait.

In June, the Haixia started 24-hour freight operations covering Taiwan, the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta. In two months, it has shifted 2,600 tons of goods worth $150 million, and 77 tons of mail to Taiwan.

Business people across the Straits are reportedly most interested in agricultural byproducts and electrical panels.

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Niva Whyman