With regard to the promotion of the Lunar New Year charter flights for Taiwanese businessmen, Premier Yu Shyi-kun has issued directives as early as October 4, 2004 on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival gathering held at Ta Shee Resort, Taoyuan County for Taiwanese businessmen’s associations in China. I have also proposed concrete recommendations to the other side of the Strait regarding the negotiations on the charter flights. In his National Day address, President Chen Shui-bian gave instructions that both sides could use the “basis of the 1992 meeting in Hong Kong” to seek possible arrangements that are "imperfect but acceptable," as preparation of a step forward in the resumption of dialogues and negotiations. The Executive Yuan soon convened a meeting on financial and economic affairs on October 11 in which Premier Yu instructed that a concrete plan be mapped out on the negotiations for the passenger and cargo charter flights that “are two-way, reciprocal, and do not stopover in a third location.” The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) immediately formed a special task force with the relevant agencies including the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, and the Straits Exchange Foundation, to draw up the plan for the implementation of the Lunar New Year charter flights. The Government has also continued to extend its goodwill. China finally made a positive response on January 3 this year, after which the MAC immediately decided to entrust the Taipei Airlines Association to assist in the negotiations on the Lunar New Year charter flights.
After days of communication and mediation between both sides, Taiwan was finally able to help in the materialization of the cross-strait charter flights negotiations conducted in the afternoon of January 15 in Macao. This was achieved through full consideration of mutual respect, pragmatic action, and the difficulties and inconveniences facing the mainland Chinese side. Both sides were able to achieve a consensus quickly to provide services and care for the Taiwanese businessmen in mainland China.
Both sides of the Strait conducted the negotiations for this year’s charter flights under the framework of the 2002 Taiwan-Hong Kong air route negotiations which were “two-way, reciprocal, and do not stopover in a third location.” The representatives entrusted and authorized by both sides have achieved a concrete consensus that is “imperfect but acceptable.” The success of the negotiations, including the process and the results, shows that both sides are able to “put aside disputes, lay no preconditions, express mutual respect and act pragmatically, with the government taking initiative and the private sector providing assistance.” It promotes mutually beneficial and reciprocal exchanges for the benefit of the people’s welfare, and creates a foundation for mutual trust. We expect that the success of the negotiations on the Lunar New Year charter flights could serve as a foundation for the further promotion of cross-strait negotiations, as well as a window of opportunity for benign cross-strait interaction.