Tue, Aug 12, 2003 page1

• CAL purchase worries British officials

  LAST-MINUTE LOBBYING The British Trade and Cultural Office is concerned politics may see China Airlines purchase engines from an American firm instead of Rolls Royce

  • By Lin Chieh-yu / STAFF REPORTER
  • • 
    • 
    • 

  Officials with the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) in Taipei visited the Presidential Office yesterday to express their concern and seek clarification on recent media reports that their American rivals, GE and Pratt and Whitney, had won the contract to supply engines to China Airlines. \nOffice director Derek Marsh and EU representative in Taipei Brian McDonald went to the Presidential Office yesterday morning to express their concern, said Maggie Yeh (葉美慧), press and public affairs officer of the trade office. \nChina Airlines failed to keep a promise to reveal its final decision on the engine purchase yesterday. The airline said the purchase was a business decision and had nothing to do with politics. \nMedia reports this week suggested the purchase was held up by the Presidential Office, which was hoping to use the sale to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough. The reports said the Presidential Office wanted to secure an overseas stopover for President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). According to the reports, Rolls Royce lost the bid to its US rivals after the British government failed to grant Chen a stopover. \nPresidential Office spokesman James Huang (黃志芳), however, denied that the government played any role in the purchase, saying the Presidential Office has stuck to its tradition of staying out of civil business affairs. \nA China Airlines spokesman, meanwhile, said the deal had not been finalized. \nLocal media have said that British Prime Minister Tony Blair had sent a letter to Chen to lobby for the deal. \nThe Presidential Office has declined to confirm the report. \nAccording to media reports, the contract for the engines can be used to extract promises from the US to arrange for more stopovers for Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), who is now on a two-week trip to Latin America, and President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), who will go on his fourth diplomatic trip to the Caribbean and Central America in October. \nMarsh and McDonald brought their concerns to Presidential Office Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) yesterday. \nSpokesman Huang refused to comment on the private meeting. \nThe BTCO refused to say whether the British government had turned down Taiwan's request of a stopover for Chen in London. \nA BTCO spokeswoman said the British government supports a fair and transparent decision-making process for the engine deal free from any non-commercial intervention. \nCompetition over the engine deal followed a bitter battle earlier this year between Europe's Airbus and Boeing of the US over the purchase of new jets by China Airlines. \nThe airline eventually compromised by purchasing 10 Boeing 747-400s -- six passenger and four cargo planes -- and 12 Airbus A330-300s. \nGE has already secured a contract to supply engines for the four Boeing cargo planes. \nChina Airlines operates a fleet of 57 aircraft -- 42 passenger planes and 15 cargo planes.

  Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.
• Most Popular

  • 1

    CECC eases travel limits on foreigners

  • 2

    COVID-19: Virus prevention program to go on

  • 3

    PRC bans import of Taiwan pineapples

  • 4

    Brazil travelers face new restrictions

  • 5

    US’ Biden plans supply-chain review