Yeh says airlines must toe the line

Air links between Taiwan and China cannot be established without negotiations between the two sides, Minister of Transportation and Communications Yeh Chu-lan (葉菊蘭) reiterated yesterday.

And relaying "messages through unofficial channels" won't be acceptable either, she said.

Yeh said that negotiations would have to take place if Taiwanese airlines needed to reroute flights over Chinese airspace to avoid areas affected by any expansion of the US-led bombing campaign in Afghanistan.

Last week, Taiwan rerouted southern-Europe-bound flights that previously flew over Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Yeh said the ministry, along with the Mainland Affairs Council, was closely monitoring the situation.

"No means of transport -- whether by air or sea -- should go to China without the permission of relevant government agencies," Yeh said.

"This is in accordance with the Statute Governing the Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area."

Yeh said the issues were a matter of national policy and should be decided by the Mainland Affairs Council followed by Cabinet approval. "It is not under the ministry's jurisdiction," she said.

New Party legislator Elmer Feng (馮滬祥) on Sunday urged the government to allow civilian airlines to fly over Chinese airspace on their way to European destinations, in the interest of passenger safety.

Feng on Friday led a Taiwanese delegation to Beijing to participate in a seminar with Bao Peide (包培德), deputy director of China's Civil Aviation Administration.

Feng said the two sides reached agreements on direct air links that would involve flights using aircraft that do not display national flags.

The legislator also said that China had responded positively to requests from Taiwan's aviation industry for Europe-bound flights to be rerouted over China following the US strikes against Afghanistan.

Flying over Chinese airspace would also save on time and fuel.

Yeh said that flying over Chinese airspace -- whatever the purpose -- required cross-strait negotiations. "Such matters are under the authority of the government," she said.

She also said that China had not sent any official messages to Taiwan on the matter.

Yeh said she hoped China would engage in official bilateral talks, rather than simply forwarding messages through unofficial channels.