Beijing moves to expand flights with Taiwan By Xing Zhigang (China Daily) Updated: 2005-02-26 01:57
Beijing on Friday pledged to expand cross-Straits charter flights while
offering greater access to agricultural products from Taiwan.
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Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing. [AFP] | The government also agreed
to consider launching cargo charters to Taiwan and allow Taiwanese airlines to
use the mainland's international flight routes to Europe.
These economic offers came despite officials' warning of a "grave
cross-Straits situation" at a regular press conference held by the Taiwan
Affairs Office of the State Council.
"We will exert our greatest efforts as long as these things benefit our
Taiwan compatriots," said Li Weiyi, spokesman of the office.
Tang Yi, deputy director of the office's Economic Bureau, proposed talks on
non-stop charter flights to cover more holidays or even regular charter flights
between the two sides.
"We hope airlines from both sides of the Straits can reach a consensus on
launching charter flights for the Qingming Festival and other traditional
Chinese festivals as soon as possible," he told reporters.
"We also hope that charter flights can be operated in all major holidays and
regular passenger flights can be run to link main mainland areas, where
Taiwanese business people live, with major cities on the island."
The Qingming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day, which falls on April 5, is a
traditional holiday when people of Chinese ancestry cherish the memory of the
dead or worship their forefathers.
The call by the mainland followed 48 successful non-stop round-trip charter
flights across the Straits between January 29 and February 20 during the Chinese
Lunar New Year.
Twelve mainland and Taiwanese airlines participated in the historic programme
- a first in 56 years - and carried 10,771 mainland-based Taiwan business people
and their families.
For decades, Taipei has maintained a ban on direct transport links with the
mainland.
Tang stressed that passengers for future charter flights should not be
confined only to Taiwan business people and their families, but include all
people with legal permits.
Beijing is also ready to discuss the establishment of cross-Straits cargo
charter services with Taiwanese airline associations, he said.
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