Fujian sees record-high single-day inbound tourists via Xiamen-Kinmen "mini three links"

A delegation of more than 2,000 people from Kinmen of the Taiwan region arrived in Fujian Province on Saturday via the Xiamen–Kinmen "Mini Three Links" ferry route, raising the single-day passenger traffic on the route to over 7,000 that included more than 4,000 inbound trips, a record high since the service resumed in 2023.

In Saturday morning, members of the delegation began to arrive in batches at Wutong Ferry Terminal of Xiamen, an easter coastal city, marking the largest such group from Kinmen since the ferry route reopened after a temporary suspension.

The delegation will take part in a four-day program of cultural exchanges in Fujian's Xiamen and Zhangzhou cities.

"We came by ferry. It only takes about half an hour. It is very convenient," said Zhuge, a visitor from Taiwan.

"I have been here several times with friends. It is both fun and convenient. We have visited tourist attractions like the Gulangyu Island, the Eighth Market and Zhongshan Road, and enjoyed Xiamen's famous snacks," said another visitor surnamed Chen.

The route, with a travel time of less than 30 minutes, is widely regarded as a golden channel for cross-Strait travel. As the weekend trips surged alongside the delegation visit, Xiamen authorities added three extra ferry services from Kinmen to Xiamen, bringing the total to 30 round trips for the day.

"With many tour groups, a high proportion of elderly passengers, and surging peak flows, we have implemented a 'simultaneous inspection for multiple vessels and continuous clearance' model based on our self-developed intelligent clearance system for the Xiamen–Kinmen 'Mini Three Links' route, so that passengers can be checked upon arrival, and pass through by facial recognition. We have also opened dedicated channels for oversized luggage and other convenience services throughout the day, and deployed officers fluent in the Minnan dialect to provide guidance and services, as the dialect is used on both sides of the Strait," said Chen Jinlai, deputy head of Xiamen's Gaoqi Border Inspection Station.

Passenger traffic on the route has continued to grow this year. As of Saturday, Gaoqi Border Inspection Station had handled over 400,000 passenger trips via the Xiamen-Kinmen "Mini Three Links" route, up by more than 20 percent year on year.

Fujian sees record-high single-day inbound tourists via Xiamen-Kinmen "mini three links"

Nicaragua's co-foreign minister Valdrack Jaentschke has warned that militarism must never be allowed to rise again, as Japan's recent moves to lift its arms export ban and revise the pacifist Constitution continue to draw international concern.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials, where Japan's Class-A war criminals from World War II were brought to justice.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Valdrack Jaentschke voiced his concern that today's world order is being undermined by interventionism and other challenges.

"It is necessary for us to remember that after the end of World War II, countries worked hard to build a new international order based on international law. However, regrettably, more than 80 years later, we are seeing that this once explored and attempted order is being challenged by interventionism, a confrontational mindset, and tendencies like 'might makes right.' These are precisely the conditions that gave rise to fascism and militarism in the past, which ultimately led to the tragedy of World War II," he said.

He said the international community has a responsibility to pursue a new international order -- one fundamentally grounded in peace.

"Looking back at the history more than eight decades ago and comparing it with today's reality, it is our responsibility to recognize that the world should, and must, build a new international order that is more just, fairer, rooted in international law, based on a logic of mutual benefit and shared success, and fundamentally grounded in peace," said the minister.

"Today, as we revisit the Tokyo Trials, it is meant to remind the world that such a tragedy must never be repeated -- and that we must do everything in our power to prevent it from happening again. We must stop that dark world -- born from militarism, interventionism, and fascism -- from ever returning," he said.

Nicaraguan FM warns of militarism revival