Taiwanese airlines may operate "indirect" charter flights via Hong Kong or Macau to bring Taiwanese businessmen home from China during the Lunar New Year next year, the government said yesterday, but this right will not be extended to airlines of other countries.
"Before any cross-strait talks can be held, under the principle of maintaining indirect cross-strait air transportation, we will allow our airlines to apply to the Chinese authorities to enter mainland China via Hong Kong or Macau to bring Taiwanese businessmen and their families home to celebrate the Lunar New Year," said Fu Dong-cheng (傅棟成), director of the Mainland Affairs Council's Department of Economic Affairs.
He was speaking at a press conference shortly after Premier Yu Shyi-kun announced the decision to the Legislative Yuan.
He added, however, "Only Taiwanese airlines may apply to operate such flights."
The authorization takes immediate effect.
Asked by reporters whether the restriction to Taiwanese airlines was aimed at forcing China to reject any such applications, Fu replied that China's likely response was a "technical matter" that was "not within the terms of reference of our evaluation."
In response to further questioning, however, he made clear that "technical matters" also included such issues as how many flights would be allowed and the definition of "Taiwanese businessmen."
He said that these were matters for the airlines, and that "technical problems could be easily solved."
Announcing the move in the legislature, Yu reiterated the government's position that direct flights could only operate after agreement had been reached in government-to-government negotiations.
"Despite their special nature, the proposed direct charter flights would have to go through certain procedures that require approval from both governments," Yu said.
Yu said he saw no technical obstacles to such flights and that Taiwan is ready to sit at the negotiating table.
The premier's announcement came 13 days after he promised that the government would make its position on direct charter flights known "within two weeks," instructing the Mainland Affairs Council to conduct the requisite evaluation.
The Executive Yuan said in a statement yesterday, "Direct charter flights are almost the same as direct scheduled flights."
"The problems raised by direct charter flights and direct scheduled flights are very similar. All the problems will need to be solved by negotiation," it said.
It said the cost of guaranteeing national security would outweigh any economic benefits if direct charter flights were allowed.
Fu said that Shanghai was the "destination of top priority" for any charter flights. Authorized departure airports in Taiwan would be the CKS International Airport and Hsiaokang Airport in Kaohsiung, both of which handle regular flights to Hong Kong and Macau.
Shanghai is the city with the largest concentration of Taiwanese businessmen in China. Some 300,000 Taiwanese are estimated to live and work there.
Fu said the charter flights would depart Taiwan without passengers.
He said the government was authorizing the flights to meet the needs of Taiwanese businessmen during the Lunar New Year holidays when demand for flights traditionally exceeds supply.
If China agrees, such charter flights could operate during the period from Jan. 27 to Feb. 5.
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