Tsai Ing-wen says no Chinese airlines unless negotiations

The Mainland Affairs Council put paid to China's hopes of having Chinese airlines included in the proposed "indirect" charter flights between Shanghai and Taiwan via Hong Kong and Macau next Lunar New Year by saying such flights would require negotiations, for which "there would not seem to be time."

"Cross-strait negotiations would have to be held before Chinese airplanes could be authorized to fly into Taiwan," said MAC Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).

"But there would not seem to be time before the Lunar New Year. As a result, Chinese airlines will not be able to take part in the operation of charter flights on this occasion," Tsai said.

She made the remarks while answering reporters' questions after going to the Legislative Yuan for an informal meeting yesterday on the Statute Governing the Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), which is under review.

Due to the absence of PFP lawmakers, the meeting was postponed to Friday.

The government said last week that it would allow domestic airline companies to file their applications with both Taiwanese and Chinese authorities to operate charter flights to take Taiwanese businesspeople and their families home during a 16-day period around Lunar New Year holiday -- Jan. 26 to Feb. 10.

Chinese authorities welcomed the decision, saying, "As long as Taiwan carriers file their applications, the Chinese government will actively cooperate."

But Beijing also expressed its wish to have Chinese carriers play a role in the operation.

The Chinese government refuses to negotiate with Taipei unless it recognizes Beijing's "one China" principle.

Taiwan has rejected a proposal initiated by KMT Legislator John Chang (章孝嚴) for direct charter flights, saying that these would require government-to-government negotiations, not least because of the national security implications they would entail.

Chang supported the MAC's position yesterday, saying that matters will become more complicated if Chinese carriers join the charter flights operation.

"I will ask Chinese authorities to scrap their suggestion when I go to China this week," he said.

He added that as there are no Chinese businesspeople in Tai-wan, there is no need for Chinese carriers to take them home.

Chang will lead a delegation of opposition lawmakers to China tomorrow to talk about the charter flights issue with Chi-nese authorities, even though the government has not authorized the delegation to discuss such issues.

Chang said the delegation will meet Chinese aviation officials on Friday and Shanghai-based businessmen on Saturday.

The delegation will return to Taiwan on Sunday and report the results of the trip to the government next Monday.