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Taipei's plan to partly ease a ban on direct cross-Straits transport, trade and postal services "has fallen short of real and full" bilateral links between the Chinese mainland and the island, one of Beijing's leading experts on Taiwan affairs said Tuesday. Xu Shiquan, director of the Institute of Taiwan Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the so-called "mini-three links" proposal is "an utterly inadequate measure" for boosting cross-Straits economic and trade relations. The researcher, however, said the mainland is poised to support the plan and help put it in place, despite its "limited use," to improve cross-Straits ties. The comments of Xu, an adviser to the central government on Taiwan policy, could be interpreted as an "official" reaction to the plan. He made the remarks after three Taiwanese passenger ships carrying around 700 people arrived at Xiamen city in southeast China's Fujian Province yesterday. The historic two-hour journey was the first direct voyage from Jinmen to Xiamen in 51 years and signalled the formal start of the "mini-three links" across the Taiwan Straits. Taiwanese authorities announced on December 13 last year that it would open up direct commercial, shipping and communications links between Taiwan's offshore islands and the mainland from January 1, 2001. For decades, Taipei has banned trade, transport and postal links -- the "three links" -- between Taiwan and the mainland. The lift on the ban allows residents of Jinmen and Matsu to travel to Xiamen and Fuzhou cities in Fujian Province on the mainland. Up to 700 Chinese mainland residents can apply to visit Jinmen and Matsu at any one time and stay for up to seven days, according to the plan. But only Taiwanese vessels can ferry passengers and goods between these islands and the Fujian cities, while mainland ships remain barred from docking at Jinmen and Matsu. "How can you call such one-way traffic a direct two-way link between the two sides?" Xu asked. He said the scheme was a "unilateral discriminatory move" by the Taiwanese authorities, which used to regard small-scale trading between the islands off Taiwan and the mainland as smuggling. Through the plan, Taiwan's authorities aim to relieve increasing pressure, from both within the island and international community, to lift the trade and transport ban completely, as well as relieve restrictions on Taiwanese investment in the mainland, Xu said. The researcher said he believes that the mainland authorities will "hold a positive and co-operative attitude" towards the plan as long as it benefits normal exchanges between people on both sides and helps improve living standards and economic development in Jinmen and Matsu. "The mainland will offer its support for the implementation of the proposal while brushing political interference aside," he said. Meanwhile, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the mainland's top body dealing with cross-Straits ties, yesterday declined to comment on the first landing. A spokesman said the office's attitude was summed up in a statement made by the Fujian Provincial Taiwan Affairs Office in late December. Although the opening of the so-called "mini-three links" is far from enough in improving cross-Straits ties, the mainland is willing to help, the statement said. But the statement accused Taiwan of "lacking sincerity and goodwill in achieving direct services."