A Boeing 747 with an undisclosed freight shipment is set to take off in the first direct chartered cargo flight between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland.

A Boeing 747, such as this one, with an undisclosed freight shipment is set to take off in the first direct chartered cargo flight between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland. [AFP]

The plane from Taiwan's leading carrier China Airlines was to be given a grand send-off before departing Chiang Kai-shek airport at 1410 GMT for the more than three-hour flight to Shanghai.

"This will be a historic moment," said airline spokesman Johnson Sun, who refused to provide details of what the plane would be carrying.

According to local media reports, the 747 would be loaded with several tonnes of equipment for a Shanghai plant belonging to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world's biggest contract microchip maker.

The first non-stop direct flights over the Taiwan Strait were carried out early this year to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Under Taipei's ban on direct links across the Taiwan Strait, all merchandise and passengers transit via third ports, normally Hong Kong.

The Taiwan pro-independence authorities are reluctant to lift the decades-old ban.

The main opposition parties, the Kuomintang (KMT) and People First Party (PFP), favor improved ties with Beijing and have been pushing for direct links.