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MAC welcomes proposal for direct flights with China

Taiwan yesterday welcomed a proposal from China to exchange the first direct flights between the two sides in more than half a century and called for speedy negotiations.

“We are happy to see the mainland side give a positive response to our proposal for setting up charter flights for Chinese New Year in 2005,” a brief statement from the island’s top China policy making organization, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said.

“Promoting Chinese New Year (cross-strait) charter flights for Taiwan business executives...has been our consistent policy...we hope the mainland side can keep its word and immediately open technical negotiations in a form acceptable to both sides.”

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The MAC was responding to China’s top Taiwan policy maker, Chen Yunlin, director of the PRC State Council’s Taiwan Affairs Office, who told an opposition Kuomintang delegation visiting Beijing that direct flights across the Taiwan straits for the holiday period could be realized if Taiwan was pragmatic and flexible.

The holiday falls on February 9, leaving a little less than a month for the two sides to thresh out the details.

“Since there is a high degree of consensus between two sides of the Taiwan Strait...we must seize the moment and make arrangements as soon as possible for charter flight negotiations,” the MAC statement said.

Legislator John Chang, a member of the Kuomintang (KMT) delegation, quoted Beijing’s Chen Yunlin as saying that talks between the two governments of Taiwan and China were not feasible and negotiations should be held by civilian groups, according to the mass daily United Evening News.

The MAC pointed out it had authorized the private Taipei Airlines Association to discuss related issues with the Chinese side, a move that revealed Taiwan’s greatest sincerity and flexibility. Chen Yunlin said Beijing was willing to accept this association, according to John Chang and the United Evening News.

Taiwan in the past has been cautious about accepting direct flights from China, which it considers to be its greatest security threat. In 2003 the government banned Chinese airlines coming to Taiwan, citing security concerns.

National Chengchi University Institute of International Relations research fellow George Tsai said he thought direct cross-strait flights for the holiday period would be realized shortly provided the governments of Taipei and Beijing kept out and didn’t try and complicate things, for example bringing up security concerns.

“It is becoming more and more likely this will be realized in the next few days as long as the Taiwan government or the other side do not interfere...and there is not too much political manipulation,” he said

But Tsai dismissed hopes that setting up the direct flights would begin to ease simmering political tensions between the two sides.

“It is too premature to have that kind of conclusion,” he said.

“I would think the resumption of talks about political (issues) is more important. If (Taiwan) does not ... accept the ‘One China’ principle, I don’t think you can have that kind of conclusion,” he said.

Meanwhile independence-minded politicians urged the government to punish the KMT for making its trip without government permission, undermining the role of the government-authorized Taipei Airlines Association, according to the government-funded Central News Agency.

The TSU legislative council deputy convener Chen Chien-ming said the KMT’s trip violated Taiwan laws banning private groups negotiating with China without the government’s permission.

He urged the MAC to punish the KMT for breaking these laws, CNA said.

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) legislative council said it was regrettable that the KMT failed to respect the government’s stance and unilaterally negotiated with Beijing, CNA said.

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