Three Links: Mini vs Full, Differences 2026
What are the cross-strait “Three Links”?
The “Three Links” are three forms of direct exchange between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait: mail, transport and trade. Depending on the scope and scale of what is opened, they are further divided into the “Mini Three Links”, limited to outlying islands such as Kinmen and Matsu, and the “Full Three Links”, covering direct exchange across the strait as a whole.
What are the Mini Three Links?
The Mini Three Links are the small-scale direct cross-strait exchanges implemented from 2 January 2001, opening trade, transport and mail between Fujian Province (Xiamen, Fuzhou Mawei, Quanzhou) and Kinmen County and Lianjiang County (Matsu) of the Republic of China, carried mainly by sea passenger and cargo sailings.
What are the Full Three Links?
The Full Three Links are the cross-strait Three Links formally launched on 15 December 2008 on a comprehensive basis, opening mail, transport and trade between mainland China and Taiwan, including direct sea and air services──ships and flights from both sides can travel directly, with no need to route through Hong Kong or another third location.
After the Three Links, which route do parcels from China to Taiwan actually take?
Ordinary online-shopping consolidated shipments travel by direct sea, sea express, and air services under the Full Three Links, without passing through Kinmen or Matsu or being transshipped via Hong Kong.
After the Full Three Links opened direct sea and air transport in 2008, cross-strait cargo no longer had to be transshipped via Hong Kong or another third location, and transit times and costs fell accordingly. The 2016 doctoral dissertation by Chao Kai-kang of National Chengchi University focused on the Taipei Port–Pingtan route to examine how information and communication technology can shorten the clearance and transshipment stages of sea express. In practice, consolidated parcels from Taobao, Tmall, and 1688 are direct cargo under the Full Three Links, shipped by sea, sea express, or air depending on weight and item.
The difference between the Mini Three Links and the Full Three Links is not whether there are links, but where they lead: the Mini Three Links reach only outlying islands such as Kinmen and Matsu, while only the Full Three Links reach Taiwan's main island directly.
Source: Chao Kai-kang, “A Study on Sea Express Delivery Assisted by Information and Communication Technology amid Regional Economic Competition and Cooperation: The Case of Taipei Port and Pingtan Island”, doctoral dissertation, Department of Management Information Systems, National Chengchi University, 2016 (reference code D034; for the full-text link, see “Authoritative Literature Citations” on this page).
⚠️ This section describes policy-level types of cross-strait transport and does not mean that any given shipment always uses a specific port or route; actual routes, sea express eligibility, and transit times must still be confirmed based on the item, weight, carrier arrangements, and customs rules.
Mini vs Full Three Links: the differences in one table
Putting the two side by side makes the difference clearest. In one sentence: Mini Three Links = the outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu only, small in scale; Full Three Links = direct to Taiwan's main island, large in scale.
HowBridge China-to-Taiwan logistics
Receiving and account matching at the China warehouse
Inbound parcels are identified by customer code, and the next steps are confirmed according to volume, weight, item type and packaging condition.
Consolidation, reinforcement and carriage
The plan is set according to whether items may be mixed, their fragility, batteries and other controlled conditions; HowBridge does not offer Mini Three Links shipping; cargo from mainland China to Taiwan’s main island travels on direct Three Links routes.
Customs declaration and EZ WAY
The declared description, quantity, value and consignee details must be truthful and consistent, with supplementary documents and real-name authorisation provided where required.
Transit time and cost
The actual quotation, sailing schedule, inspection and last-mile delivery govern; no fixed delivery date or duty-free promise is given.
Government policy and customs regulation sources
Historical policy material helps you understand the terms; current cargo clearance still comes back to customs regulations, the nature of the goods and the actual carriage documents.
FAQ (Mini Three Links / Full Three Links)
Further reading on consolidation and customs clearance
For more on shipping costs, the customs filing process and clearance times from China to Taiwan, see:
This page cites primary government, judicial, and academic sources from HowBridge’s customs reference index (1,171 records). Each item links to its original source.
Reference index data version: 2026-08-16
- Thesis A Study of ICT-Assisted Sea-Freight Express Services amid Regional Economic Competition and Cooperation: The Cases of Taipei Port and Pingtan Island nccur.lib.nccu.edu.tw
- Official manual Cargo Clearance Automation Declaration Manual (Volume I / Volume II) web.customs.gov.tw
- Official manual Operational Rules for Customs Clearance of Sea Express Consignments law-out.mof.gov.tw
- Regulation Regulations Governing Customs Clearance of Postal Parcels Imported and Exported law.moj.gov.tw
- Government notice Basis for calculating the customs value of dutiable imported goods (principle on whether import duty is to be added to the taxable value for commodity tax) law-out.mof.gov.tw
- Statistics / white paper Customs operations statistics (numbers of import and export declarations, containers, aircraft movements and passengers) web.customs.gov.tw
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