The nation's international airports will be given priority for cross-strait flights but direct transportation links with China cannot be realized without government-to-government talks, Taiwan's transportation officials reiterated yesterday.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Ling-san (
Lin said visiting Civil Aviation Administration of China Deputy Director Bao Peide (
Later in the day, the Web site for China's official Xinhua News Agency indicated that Bao would be removed from office. The news report gave no explanation.
During a legislative committee meeting yesterday, Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) Director-General Chang Kuo-cheng (
"It is impossible to bypass both governments in talks on the matter, in light of the contiguity of bilateral airspaces," Chang told lawmakers.
Chang added that he thought all of Taiwan's airports could be used as terminals for conducting cross-strait civil air services, so long as they maintained international civil aviation operations.
Upon his arrival, Bao told reporters that he would be attending a panel discussion to be held with Taiwan's airline representatives during his week-long visit.
He declined to say if he would be meeting government officials to discuss establishing air links.
But many have speculated that Bao arrived at the invitation of the Mainland Affairs Council.
The Chinese-language media,has quoted unnamed officials as saying the meeting's agenda included allowing aircraft from both sides to fly over each other's air space.
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