MAC denies dispatching delegation

The Mainland Affairs Council yesterday denied it had sent secret a delegation to China to discuss expanding cross-strait charter flights prior to the government's recent announcement that it would further liberalize air links.

Council Deputy Chairman Liu Te-shun (劉德勳) yesterday dismissed a front page story by the Chinese-language newspaper, the China Times, which quoted Liu's predecessor Chen Ming-tung (陳明通) as saying that delegates commissioned by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) had traveled to China between April 8 and April 10 to meet with the Chinese officials regarding the expansion of the cross-strait charter flights -- prior to an economic summit held between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) last week.

Former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) attended the CCP-KMT economic and trade forum last Friday and Saturday. He met Chinese President Hu Jingtao (胡錦濤) on Sunday.

The report quoted Chen as saying in an interview with the local CTI news channel on Sunday night that "the April 8-10 discussion had achieved considerable breakthroughs" on the opening of cross-strait charter cargo flights and passenger flights on weekends and holidays.

Liu yesterday denied the report.

Talks in progress

"There have been ongoing communications [between both governments] and the talks have proceeded in accordance with our designated goals. There were absolutely no secret envoys involved in our communications," Liu said.

Liu however confirmed that proxies of the two governments have engaged in "intensive" communications recently regarding the expansion of cross-strait charter flights.

The council last week called for the Chinese authorities to speed up talks on expanding cross-strait passenger charter flights and hinted that the flights would soon be expanded to include the three major Chinese festivals, including the dragon boat festival and the mid-Autumn festival, in addition to the current Lunar New Year festival charter flights.

Liu yesterday said the government had commissioned the Taipei Airlines Association, which has helped negotiate direct charter flights over previous Lunar New Year holidays, to help arrange negotiations on cross-strait cargo and passenger charter flights.

No tourists yet

In response to China's announcement on Sunday of rules for travel by its citizens to Taiwan, Liu said the measures still fell far short of what was needed for Chinese tourists to arrive in Taiwan, as Beijing had yet to add Taiwan to the list of travel destinations for its citizens.

There were still a number of inconsistencies between China's regulations and Taiwan's, such as a demand that Taiwanese travel agencies wanting to bring in Chinese tourists be approved by the Chinese authorities in advance, Liu said.

"We don't want China to announce its measures at different stages. This looks very insincere to the Taiwanese people. If they want to do it, just do it once and for all," Liu said.