FUZHOU, June 15 (Xinhua) -- A new cross-Strait flight route was inaugurated Tuesday with a direct flight from Fuzhou, capital of southeast Fujian Province on the Chinese mainland, to Hualien in eastern Taiwan.

The flight route will be Fuzhou's first direct air route to the eastern part of Taiwan and the fifth direct flight to the island.

A return flight between Fuzhou and Hualien is scheduled for every Tuesday and Thursday.

Fuzhou already has four direct flights to Taiwan -- to the cities of Taichung and Kaohsiung and to Taipei's Songshan and Taoyuan airports.

Another direct flight linking Xiamen, a coastal Fujian city, to Hualien is expected to start operations on Friday. One round-trip flight between the two cities is scheduled every Tuesday and Friday.

Taiwan lies to the east of Fujian Province, across the Taiwan Strait. Many people in Taiwan trace their ancestry to Fujian. Fujian is home to thousands of Taiwan enterprises.