Shipping companies not optimistic about small links

Taiwanese companies say they are not optimistic about the prospects for direct cross-strait shipping under the "small three links" (小三通), due to open in January.

The government has announced that the opening of the small three links -- postal, transportation and trade links between Taiwan's outlying islands of Kinmen (金門) and Matsu (馬祖) and China -- will take effect on Jan. 1.

They have done so, however, without negotiating with authorities in China. Liaoluo (料羅) Harbor on Kinmen and Fuao (福澳) Wharf on Matsu have been chosen as the ports to be used by cross-strait shipping under the links.

But local shipping companies are not optimistic that such shipping operations will thrive.

Chang Tsai-hsin (張再興), president of a local shipping union, yesterday revealed that only a few companies have prepared for the links and that they have done so with a wait-and-see attitude.

"The uncertainty of not knowing whether Beijing will approve ... has made local shipping companies hesitant," he said.

In addition, some shipping companies said that additional obstacles to direct links could emerge in the future, as, they said, the government seems not to have taken the "one China" dispute into consideration.

Shipping said that as the Taiwan authorities had not negotiated an agreement with China on the links, there was potential for dispute as to whether ships of either side would be allowed to fly flags when entering each others' harbors.

They said that Taiwanese shipping would "certainly" be prevented from flying the Republic of China flag when entering Chinese ports unless agreement was reached in advance.

"On the other hand, what should Taiwan do if ships from China refuse to lower their five-star flags?

"Should we force them to do so or prevent them from entering our ports?" they asked.

They argued that China, in such a scenario, might terminate the links.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications released a statement yesterday saying it would not accept applications from shipping companies to operate on routes opened up under the small three links before detailed regulations are announced by the Executive Yuan on Dec. 15.

Preparations opening the links were initiated after the Offshore Islands Development Bill (離島建設條例) was passed in March of this year.

That law overturned bans on direct links that had been in place since the KMT established the governmental seat of the Republic of China in Taiwan.