strait direct transportation links if elected. Kuomintang's hopeful Ma Ying-jeou said yesterday after inauguration, he would immediately start planning for weekend charter flights across the Taiwan Strait.
He said he would also ease the restrictions on the mini three links, expanding the list of eligible travelers who can commute by boat between the outlying island of Kinmen and China's coastal province of Fujian.
The main opposition party's candidate also promised to reach a direct cross-strait transportation agreement with China within a year of inauguration.
He made the vows while addressing a group of supporters from the China-based Taiwanese business community at a gathering in Taipei.
His ruling Democratic Progressive Party counterpart Frank Hsieh on Friday also reaffirmed his commitment to the promotion of direct air links across the strait if elected.
Hsieh said he faces pressure and criticism from radical pro-independence DPP members for his calls for direct cross-strait air links and for increases in exchanges between Taiwan and China.
But he said he will not back off despite the pressure from the pro-independence fundamentalists.
"I'll uphold what I think is good for our country and people," he told another gathering in Taipei of China-based Taiwanese businesspeople.
The direct transportation links between Taiwan and China have long been a major issue pitching the KMT and the DPP on opposing sides.
Apart from the politically sensitive questions about the definition of cross-strait flights--whether they are domestic or international ones, the impact on Taiwan's economy is at the center of the debate.
The KMT argues that further delays in the links will impede Taiwan's access to the Chinese market and will come back to hurt the island's economic growth.
The DPP has been cautious, claiming a full-fledged direct link between the sides will accelerate the exodus of investments to China, leaving Taiwan economically hijacked by China.
But Hsieh seems to be ready to challenge the DPP's official line.
He explained to the Taiwanese businesspeople in detail his ideas about opening direct cross-strait air links.
"To avoid disputes about whether cross-strait air routes are domestic or international in nature, I prefer to see the direct transportation service be realized by expanding charter flight services," Hsieh said.
He said that the existing charter flights on special festivals can be expanded to cover other holidays or weekends or on a regular daily basis and the number of destinations be expanded gradually to cover all important cities.
He said he hopes all China-based Taiwanese businesspeople will consider Taiwan to be both their home and the hub of their businesses.
If elected, Hsieh said he will make every possible effort to make it easier for Taiwanese businesspeople to launch new investment projects in Taiwan.
But Ma said cross-strait direct transport links would not materialize if the DPP wins the March 2008 presidential poll.
He said the DPP would be hijacked by its fundamentalist pro-independence allies who oppose the links.
