A Chinese mainland spokesman on Thursday called for the full resumption of direct flights between the mainland and Taiwan that had been previously suspended due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Taiwan announced on Thursday it would allow the resumption of direct flights from the island to 10 mainland cities starting on Friday. The move was made amid rising exchanges between people on both sides of the straits after the optimization of epidemic control policies.

Currently, Taiwan has direct flights to only four mainland cities — Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu in Sichuan province and Xiamen in Fujian province, down from over 60 cities before the epidemic.

To meet people's needs, the mainland suggested the island resume direct flights to 16 mainland cities on Feb 1.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said peace, development, exchange and cooperation are the common aspiration of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.

"The resumption of direct flights is conducive to personnel exchanges between the two sides," he said.

Ma called on island authorities to listen to people's voices, promote the full resumption of direct flights and ships across the Straits as soon as possible so as to improve the well-being of compatriots on both sides.