The 2005 Lunar New Year cross-strait charter flights, as detailed under the 2002 Hong Kong negotiation model, were established from the consensus achieved between the Taipei and Beijing governments through recent negotiations in Macau on January 15. The Lunar New Year charter flights, which first took place in 2003, hope to facilitate the reunion of Taiwanese businesspeople, executives, and their families in China with their friends and relatives in Taiwan during the Lunar New Year. While achieving the government’s long-term goal of looking after Taiwan’s businesspeople and their families, the charter flights also help to foster stronger relations between the government and the business community.
The following are the ROC government’s position on the 2005 Lunar New Year cross-strait charter flights.
1. In his May 20, 2004 inauguration speech, address to the National Day rally, and instructions at a high-level national security meeting, President Chen Shui-bian has repeatedly shown his determination to maintaining peace, stability, and the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.
President Chen stated that any possibility would not be excluded in establishing relations with China as long as the people of Taiwan gave their consent. Beijing should neither unreasonably suppress Taiwan nor resort to political barriers as an excuse, thereby causing the deterioration of cross-strait relations. Both sides should cherish the successful promotion of the upcoming Lunar New Year cross-strait charter flights, and take this opportunity to take further steps toward positive interaction.
2. The Lunar New Year cross-strait charter flights could serve as the foundation for the resumption of cross-strait negotiations and the starting point for normalized relations between Taiwan and China.
Based on the framework of the 2002 Taiwan-Hong Kong Aviation Agreement, the negotiations leading to the 2005 Lunar New Year cross-strait charter flights for Taiwanese businesspeople has been carried out with mutual respect and pragmatism. Delegates commissioned and authorized by both sides have engaged in negotiations for this matter. We regret Beijing’s opposition to the participation of representatives from the Mainland Affairs Council and the Straits Exchange Foundation for obvious political reasons, even though a consensus was reached in the end. These successful negotiations could serve as the first step toward promoting formal cross-strait negotiations and an opportunity to clear the way for positive interaction.
3. China has unreasonably suppressed Taiwan without making any attempt to improve cross-strait relations.
Taiwan has been continuing to promote concrete measures, such as passenger and cargo charter flights, to alleviate cross-strait tension. China has otherwise been consistently pursuing political suppression of Taiwan through diplomatic isolation, deploying its armed forces, drafting an Anti-separation Law, and releasing a white paper titled “China’s National Defense in 2004.” It is China’s attempt to adopt violent means to force Taiwan into accepting its “one-China” principle. The enactment of the Anti-separation Law, which serves as the legal basis for aggression against Taiwan, proves that Beijing lacks the sincerity in improving cross-strait relations.
4. The Lunar New Year charter flights illustrate that both Taiwan and China can resolve their disputes through negotiations.
It is a set government policy to resolve disputes between Taiwan and China through consultation and negotiations under the principles of equality and reciprocity without any preconceived political premises. The international community expects that cross-strait issues can be resolved in this manner as well. The achievement of the Lunar New Year charter flights has shown that both sides can engage in dialogue and seek solutions by completely setting aside disputes and extending respect to the other side. In light of Taiwan’s goodwill, China should follow this route and not resort to drastic measures such as the enactment of the Anti-separation Law. Otherwise, China’s aggressive behavior will escalate cross-strait tension and even put cross-strait relations in jeopardy.
5. The international community should not ignore China’s threat to peace across the Taiwan Strait.
China’s enactment of the Anti-separation Law is a vicious attempt to sabotage peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. It also reveals Beijing’s ambition to dominate regional affairs and its disregard for democracy and human rights in Taiwan. The successful implementation of this year’s Lunar New Year cross-strait charter flights does not mean that cross-strait tensions have been reduced. China has neither abandoned its preparations and intentions of launching military attacks against Taiwan nor altered its endeavors to dictate the direction of cross-strait relations through the enactment of an Anti-separation Law. Unless these attempts are ceased, China will miss an opportunity to improve cross-strait relations created by the 2005 Lunar New Year charter flights. Furthermore, China could seriously undermine the foundation for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
6. The consensus reached in the negotiations of the Lunar New Year charter flights can be attributed to the concerted efforts by Taiwan and the United States.
When Dr. Condoleezza Rice and Mr. Colin Powell visited Beijing on separate occasions in July and October last year, they both asked China to continue dialogue with Taiwan. We have since seen China fine-tuning their position in this regard. After negotiations on the Lunar New Year charter flights were completed in Macau, an official from the State Department of the United States immediately welcomed the outcome of the negotiations on January 16. The United States indicated that the agreement would serve the interests of both sides and promote regional peace and security. The United States has thereby shown its concern for cross-strait peace and Taiwan’s security. We welcome the United States to continue to act as a facilitator in encouraging China to conduct negotiations with Taiwan.
7. The initiation of any new cross-strait flights requires negotiations between the authorities on both sides, or their commissioned representatives before the flights can be implemented.
All arrangements for this year’s charter flights fully comply with the international conventions and are the result of negotiations between the two sides, including flight destination airports, flight routes, transfers between different Flight Information Regions, and inspection of proper documents. Moreover, the flight destination airports and flight routes for the Lunar New Year charter flights are all “international airports and routes” used by both sides. These arrangements were made and implemented through negotiations. We would like to emphasize that these are far from “the domestic routes” claimed by the Chinese government. We hope that China will not use this instance of mutually beneficial exchange as a means to serve the political objectives of its “one-China” principle.
After consensus on the details of these flights was achieved, media at home and abroad have suggested that such concrete agreements through cross-strait negotiation could open the door to mutually beneficial cross-strait exchanges in the future. We consider the results of this Lunar New Year’s charter flight negotiations as “imperfect but acceptable.” The process of the negotiations and their resultant success demonstrate that both sides can promote exchanges that are reciprocal, mutually beneficial, and favorable to the welfare of the people on both sides. This achievement reveals that both sides can resolve differences under the principles of “setting aside disputes, laying no preconditions, expressing mutual respect, and acting pragmatically, with the government taking the initiative, and the private sector providing assistance,” thereby building the foundation for mutual trust. We foresee that these successful instances of dialogue will serve as a starting point for future discussions and create an opportunity for positive interaction across the Taiwan Strait.