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DPP, officials clash over Ma’s commercial flights

The Presidential Office and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday locked horns over the former’s decision to have President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) travel on commercial airlines during his upcoming Latin American trip.

While the Presidential Office said the use of commercial flights was an attempt to avoid the stereotypical impression of Taiwan as a country that “likes to flaunt its wealth,” the DPP said the Presidential Office was “saving a little money but losing out on upholding Taiwan’s dignity” by not using charter flights for the whole trip.

Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) told a press conference yesterday that the changes were made to “purge” the country’s international image as a “troublemaker” employing “dollar diplomacy.”

The use of commercial flights for segments of the trip would save taxpayers an estimated NT$30 million (US$987,000), he said.

Ma is scheduled to visit Paraguay and the Dominican Republic on Aug. 15 and Aug. 16. The president and his entourage are booked to take a commercial airline en route to Paraguay. They will fly to the Dominican Republic on a charter flight, which will then take them to San Francisco. The delegation is scheduled to return on a commercial flight.

Wang dismissed the DPP’s criticism that taking commercial flights did not correspond with Ma’s status as the head of state and ignored international protocol.

“Taking into account the economic situation, both at home and abroad, it makes sense if we can spend as little as possible to get the same result,” Wang said.

“What is more important is that some practical planning could shake off the country’s image of luxury and avoid creating the stereotypical impression that Taiwan is a country that likes to flaunt its wealth. This would also be useful in future diplomatic tasks,” the Presidential Office spokesman said.

Wang said a National Security Agency appraisal had concluded that it would be safe for Ma to take commercial flights.

In addition, the first-class cabin would be reserved for Ma and his entourage, the same arrangement that was used when the former vice president and premier went abroad on commercial airlines, he said.

While former officials’ delegations included hundreds of people and needed more than three hours to check in luggage, Wang said the Presidential Office would tightly restrict the number of people accompanying Ma while keeping the inconvenience caused to other passengers to the minimum.

Regarding Ma’s transits through Los Angeles on his way to Latin America and through San Francisco on his way back, Wang urged the public to refrain from complicating matters.

“Stopovers are just a part of the trip, not the purpose,” he said. “We hope to make everything as simple as possible. Both the US and Taiwan feel the trip should be conducted according to the principles of ‘safety, comfort, convenience and dignity.’”

The DPP held a separate press conference yesterday morning, where it accused Ma of damaging the country’s dignity by using commercial flights rather than special charter flights for his first overseas trip as head of state.

“The decision to use commercial flights is in accordance with Ma’s ‘diplomatic truce’ with China and is imperiling Taiwan’s diplomatic efforts,” DPP Deputy Secretary-General Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said.

Chen said that, in the face of China’s oppression, “head of state diplomacy (元首外交)” has been the core of Taiwan’s diplomatic efforts.

“But Ma’s so-called low-profile overseas trip could leave Taiwan’s allies with the impression that the country does not assert its diplomatic ties,” Chen said.

Saying that security was the most important concern in a presidential trip abroad, Chen said the Presidential Office was emphasizing how much money the government could save, but skimping on the security issue.

Using commercial flights and traveling with other passengers could increase the security risks of the trip, he said.

“Ma’s move only improves his personal image of frugality, but not that of the nation,” DPP Cultural and Publicity Department Director Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) said.

The move was intended to mask Ma and the government’s poor performance, he said.
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