Originally, according to Taiwan's National Reunification Guidelines, direct shipping should have come in the middle stages of the process. The guidelines called for the PRC to guarantee Taiwan's sovereignty, security and dignity before such shipping could begin.
回顧我國的通航準備工作，兩岸通航在國統綱領屬於中程階段，必須等中共對確保我主權、安全和尊嚴三條件做出回應後，才能實施。