Ball in China's court on cross-strait flights: Chen

In an advance copy of the transcript of the interview which is to be broadcast Monday evening, Chen claimed that contrary to what the public believe, economic exchanges between Taiwan and China peaked during his seven years in office and this is evidence in part by the direct charter flights across the strait for three Chinese festivals launched last year.

However, the scheduled direct cargo flights vital for Taiwan businessmen operating in China and China's lifting of a ban on its people traveling to Taiwan as tourists -- which will make passenger flights commercially necessary -- should take place before scheduled direct passenger flights, he said.

Chen said the negotiations on Chinese tourism visits to Taiwan were close to finalization when they collapsed over Beijing's insistence on depicting Taiwan as "China,Taiwan" which was unacceptable to Taiwan.

With only one year to go before the end of his term, the prospect for the launch of the direct flights seems to be dim, but the president said the problem, as well as its solution, lies in China not Taiwan.