The promotion of the lunar new year chartered flights for Taiwanese businessmen and the cargo chartered flights is the consistent policy of the Government. With regard to China’s demand for chartered flights that “are two-way, reciprocal, and do not have to stop in a third location,” the Government has earlier stated that this could be properly arranged through cross-strait negotiations. In November 2004 the Government has explicitly declared that it is willing to conduct pragmatic negotiations with China and make the necessary arrangements following the model of the Taiwan-Hong Kong air route negotiations in 2002. After China made a positive response to Taiwan on January 3, 2005, the Mainland Affairs Council immediately decided to entrust the Taipei Airlines Association to assist in negotiating related matters, which fully shows our utmost sincerity and flexibility in facilitating the lunar new year chartered flights.
We are pleased that China has made a positive response to our proposal for implementing the lunar new year chartered flights this year. At the same time, we have also noted the statement of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Spokesperson in October 27 last year that it would be feasible to conduct negotiations on the chartered flights according to the model of the Taiwan-Hong Kong air route negotiations. We hope that China will keep its word and resume pragmatic negotiations immediately through mutually acceptable means.
The Mainland Affairs Council reiterates that since there has been a strong cross-strait consensus on the promotion of two-way chartered flights during the lunar new year holidays, both sides should take the opportunity to immediately make further arrangements, so as to decide on the related implementation details as soon as possible. This will provide the Taiwanese businessmen in China with a faster and more convenient channel for returning home during the lunar new year holidays, which truly fulfills the promise to provide service to and taking care of the Taiwanese businessmen.