MAC: The Scope of Passenger Charter Flights Still Requires Negotiations with China
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson yesterday indicated that China welcomes Taiwan’s statement regarding the approval of negotiations on cross-strait cargo and passenger charter flights. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) expressed the hope that both sides of the Strait could smoothly conduct negotiations on the charter flights to create opportunities for positive cross-strait interaction. The MAC and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications will initiate the negotiations mechanism and make necessary arrangements in accordance with the policy directives announced by Premier Frank Hsieh on June 13, 2004 during the Dragon Boat Festival celebration event for Taiwanese businessmen in China.
With regard to the cross-strait negotiations on the charter flights, the Taiwanese government has always given priority to the promotion of the cargo charter flights. This is to help solve the bottleneck problem in transportation faced by the majority of Taiwanese businessmen in China when they export their products to the U.S. and European markets. In consideration of China’s position, hasty preparations and certain operational difficulties occurred during this year’s Lunar New Year charter flights have resulted in a need for Taiwan to make immediate preparations Therefore, the government has agreed to conduct negotiations on the cargo and passenger charter flights together.
The MAC also indicated that due to certain complicated factors involved in the passenger charter flights as well as the lack of interests from the Taiwanese airline companies to operate charter flights during other festivals or short holidays, it is necessary for Taiwan to conduct negotiations with China to determine the scope of the passenger charter flights. In order to smoothly conduct future negotiations, MAC urges the public and the media to refrain from making excessive interpretations and speculations.