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Taiwanese applaud charter flight pact
By Li Dapeng (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-01-18 09:03
FUZHOU: Taiwanese business people in East China's Fujian Province have given
the thumbs-up to the landmark agreement for non-stop charter flights across the
Taiwan Straits this coming Spring Festival.
The agreement is a breakthrough in the history of relations between the
mainland and Taiwan, said Wu Jinzhong, president of the Xiamen Taiwanese
Enterprises Association.
Under the deal, 24 round-trip flights over Hong Kong will take Taiwan
business people working on the mainland and their family members directly to and
from Taipei and Kaohsiung to celebrate the Chinese lunar New Year, which falls
on February 9. Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are approved destinations on the
mainland.
"I'm delighted to see that a favourable agreement has been agreed upon over
the charter flight issue," Wu said.
But Wu also said it was a pity Xiamen had not been accepted as a mainland
destination for the flights, although it had been on the mainland's proposal
list.
He said the direct sea voyage between Xiamen and Jinmen still fails to meet
all traffic needs when it comes to the rush season during the traditional Spring
Festival.
Including Xiamen would provide another option for the large number of
Taiwanese business people in southern Fujian cities such as Xiamen, Zhangzhou
and Quanzhou, Wu said.
"I really wish to fly home directly next year," he added.
Chen Jiannan, president of the Fuzhou Taiwanese Enterprises Association, said
the launch of charter flights was a good move and would be convenient for
Taiwanese business people living in or around Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
"But I still sincerely hope the real 'three links' is realized soon, which
can really meet the long-term transport needs of people across the Straits,"
Chen said.
Chen said that for the coming festival, many Taiwanese in Fuzhou would have
to choose Mawei-Matsu or Xiamen-Jinmen voyages back to Taiwan and others would
fly home via Hong Kong or Macao as before.
Statistics from the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Fujian provincial government
show that so far there are more than 100,000 Taiwanese people working in the
province.
By the end of November 2004, Fujian had attracted contractual Taiwanese
investment of US$14.45 billion, accounting for about a quarter of the mainland's
total.
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