Taiwan proposed on Thursday to send a delegation to Macau this weekend to meet Chinese officials and discuss direct charter flights over the Lunar New Year holiday.

The Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwan's cabinet agency for plotting China policy, said it had authorized Civil Aeronautics Administration chief Billy Chang and Taipei Airlines Association head Mike Lo to organize the trip on Saturday.

"We hope the mainland side shows sincerity, keeps its promise and speedily sends its delegation to engage in pragmatic negotiations with our representatives so all the arrangements for the charter flights can be smoothly completed," said the council.

On Wednesday, China proposed one-off, non-stop flights between the Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xiamen and the Taiwanese cities of Taipei, Kaohsiung and Taichung during the holiday period, which begins in early February.

Taiwan has banned direct transportation links with China since the Nationalists lost a civil war to the communists in 1949 and fled to the island. The landmark charters could mark a step towards permanent direct links and help ease political tension.

China views self-governing Taiwan as part of its territory and threatens to invade the democratic island of 23 million people if it declares formal independence.

The proposal on the charters came on the heels of a visit to Beijing by legislators of Taiwan's main opposition Nationalist Party, which China prefers to deal with because the Nationalists oppose formal independence.

An estimated 1 million Taiwan business people reside in China, where Taiwan companies have invested up to USD$100 billion, and they have long requested direct flights. Travellers currently have to fly via a third destination, usually Hong Kong or Macau.