The sole surviving grandson of late Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek flew to Beijing on Sunday for talks on charter flights between China and Taiwan during the Lunar New Year holidays -- possibly the first direct flights in more than 50 years.

John Chang, who adopted his mother's surname, and two other legislators from Taiwan's main opposition Nationalist Party are due to hold talks on Monday with officials from China's policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office and aviation authorities.

"It's not commercially fair" if Chinese airlines are not allowed to fly chartered flights between Taiwan and China during the Lunar New Year holidays beginning on February 9, Chang told reporters on arrival in Beijing. "Charter flights would save time and money."

Taiwan has banned direct transport links with China since Chiang's Nationalist troops fled to the island in 1949 after losing the Chinese civil war on the mainland to the Communists. China-Taiwan flights are routed mainly through Hong Kong.

Beijing and Taipei remain strong rivals and China refuses to talk directly with the government of Taiwan which it considers a breakaway province being led down the path to announcing formal independence by President Chen Shui-bian.

The Nationalists are anti-independence. Beijing has threatened war if Taiwan formally declares statehood.

At Chinese New Year in 2003, charter flights between Shanghai and Taiwanese cities were commissioned to Taiwan airlines, but they were not allowed to fly directly between Taiwan and China and had to make token stops in Hong Kong or Macau, lengthening a one hour flight to about four hours.

The flights were not repeated in 2004 lest they help Chen win re-election. Chen won anyway.

Beijing insists Chinese airlines be allowed to take part in charter flights this time. If both sides agree to no stopovers, it would be the first direct flights since 1949.

"Charter flights would ease tension... It's like the first sparrow in spring," Chang said. "When we see the sparrow, spring will be around the corner."

Despite the diplomatic freeze, business and tourism ties between China and Taiwan have blossomed in recent years and there are about 1 million Taiwan businessmen and their families in China.

"I'm optimistic there will be charter flights this year because both sides want to talk," said Taiwan businessman Huang Liang-hua.

"If there's sincerity and true heart to do this, it is very easy to achieve," said He Shizhong, director of the economic bureau of China's Taiwan Affairs Office.

Taiwan's policy making Mainland Affairs Council has said it will agree to allow charter flights by Taiwanese and Chinese airlines this year and authorized a private group to discuss details with China after Beijing said it welcomed talks with Taiwan envoys.

A Taiwan airline executive empowered by Taipei held talks with Chinese officials in Macau last week.

Observers view the Taiwan Strait as one of Asia's most dangerous flash points because of fears that Chen may push the island towards formal statehood in his second four year term.