The accord on the opening of shipping links signed by Taiwan and China last week stipulates that only national vessels of the two sides will be permitted to sail directly between points in the two countries.

MOTC officials said, however, that Taiwan and China have reached a tacit agreement to allow foreign cruise lines to serve cross-strait routes without detouring through a third country or area.

The ministry believes that such an agreement will boost Taiwan's tourism sector by providing a new avenue for Chinese tourists to visit the island.

Under the terms of the shipping pact, Taiwan will open 11 ports across the country to direct cross-strait shipping services that will connect them to 63 destinations in China.

Several cruise lines based in Singapore, Japan and Britain are currently serving Taiwan, according to the MOTC.

For instance, Hong Kong-based Star Cruises sails between Keelung and Japan's Isigaki Island during the April-June period every year. It also offered cruises to and from Hualien in eastern Taiwan and the outlying Penghu Island last year.

Star Cruises is highly interested in managing the cross-strait market and has begun assessing the possibility of reopening routes from Keelung or Kaohsiung to Shanghai.

The cruise line had offered a Keelung-Isigashi Island-Shanghai route several years ago, but canceled the service after only three trips due to the time-consuming detour.