Chinese experts called on Taiwan authorities on Thursday to give up political
concerns about the early realization of direct air links with the mainland.
Guo Zhenyuan, a researcher with the China Institute for International
Studies, said chartered flights across the Taiwan Strait for festivals and
special cases failed to meet public demand for direct transport links on both
sides.
"The new agreement by aviation organizations of the Chinese mainland and
Taiwan will undoubtedly promote cross-Strait exchanges, but the progress is a
bit slow and the advances are small," Guo said.
China's General Administration of Civil Aviation (CAAC) announced on
Wednesday that the mainland-based Cross-Strait Aviation Transport Exchange
Council and the Taipei Airlines Association had agreed on the framework of
chartered flights for festivals and special occasions.
Chartered flights will operate during Qingming, or the tomb-sweeping
festival, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival, in addition to
the Chinese lunar new year season, according to the agreement.
The two sides also agreed to open chartered flights for emergency medical
rescue, first aid for the handicapped and special chartered cargo flights.
People from both the mainland and Taiwan had for years wanted direct,
two-way, comprehensive air links, but the Taiwan authorities had always
disappointed them with political excuses, Guo said.
The two sides had successfully operated chartered flights during spring
festival in recent years, showing the feasibility of open direct flights by
non-governmental aviation organizations from both sides, Guo said.
"Despite deliberate obstruction from the Taiwan authorities, the realization
of direct air links is inescapable with the development of economic and trade
relations between the two sides, " he said.
Sun Shengliang, an associate research fellow with the research institute of
Taiwan issues under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Wednesday's
agreement was another step towards direct, two-way air links.
"It proves that the mainland side is sincere in promoting the realization of
demands by the Taiwanese people no matter what political changes occur on the
island," Sun said.
Aviation businesses on both sides are keen to begin weekend charters or
regular flights and even direct air links as soon as the Taiwan authorities
dropped their political concerns, Sun said.
Direct air links have become an urgent issue in cross-Strait exchanges with
the deepening of economic and cultural exchanges between the two sides in recent
years.
The two sides have agreed to allow chartered flights for 14 days around the
Spring Festival, and then seven days around the other three festivals, according
to Wednesday's agreement.
The chartered flights will operate between Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and
Xiamen on the mainland, and Taipei and Kaohsiung in Taiwan. All Taiwan
residents, businessmen and their relatives with valid certificates can take the
flights.
Taiwan business people working on the mainland applauded the new agreement,
though some said it is not as satisfactory as they had hoped.
"The festival chartered flights are a long-awaited wish of Taiwan businessmen
here, it means a lot to Taiwanese who value tradition very much," said Wu
Zhenchang, head of the association of Taiwan-funded companies in south China's
Guangzhou.
Zeng Qinzhao, Wu's counterpart in Fujian's Xiamen, said the direct links for
mail, trade and transport between the Chinese mainland's Xiamen and Jinmen of
Taiwan have operated smoothly during the past five years. He was hoping for a
new breakthrough that might have included weekend direct chartered flights
across the Taiwan Strait.
Many Taiwan businessmen agree that the festival chartered flights will save
both time and money. Chen Yuemei, a Taiwan company manager in east China's
Nanjing, calculated that the new flights will save her more than 1,000 yuan (125
U.S. dollars) although she's disappointed that Nanjing is not one of the
destinations.
Spring Festival chartered flights was raised by a group of Taiwan business
people and eminent persons in 2002, after more than 50 years with no direct air
links.
After negotiations, 16 chartered flights via Hong Kong and Macao were
arranged during the 2003 Spring Festival.
The first non-stop chartered flights across the Taiwan Strait were launched
during the lunar new year in 2005. This year 72 round flights were arranged
during the Spring Festival.
Taiwan's stock market shares rose sharply on Wednesday following the
announcement of the expansion of chartered flights between the Chinese mainland
and Taiwan.
Traders said the news of expanding chartered flight injected investors with
confidence.
Qingming Festival, when Chinese people pay homage to their ancestors and
deceased loved ones, falls on April 5 or 6.
The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month,
while the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, falls on the
15th day of the eighth lunar month, is observed as a day for family
reunion.
