April 19, 1997 witnessed the beginning of the experimental direct navigating lines from Fuzhou and Xiamen in the mainland to Gaoxiong Port in Taiwan. Due to restrictions by the Taiwan authority, only the goods in cross-Straits international trades can be transferred, but it ended the 48 years history that no trading ships could directly navigate across the Straits anyhow. Since 1998, the regular container ships from both sides that travel along international lines across the Straits have been able to directly berth in the ports on each side, and the cross-Straits trade freight vessels can travel along each side of the Straits after they change their documents in a third spot.