To help China-based Taiwanese businesspeople and their families come home to celebrate the Lunar New Year, the Executive Yuan yesterday approved a proposal that will allow groups to return via indirect charter flights and the "small three links" route.
It is estimated that over 400,000 Taiwanese living and working in China will be able to return using these methods for the holidays.
The indirect charter flight program, which will operate between Jan. 26 and Feb. 10, is expected to benefit over 300,000 people.
Shanghai has the largest concen-tration of Taiwanese business-people in China with some 300,000 to 400,000 people estimated to be living and working there.
Ticket prices of the charters are expected to be lower than the cost of regular flights between Taipei and Shanghai via Hong Kong or Macau.
While the price for a return trip between Taipei and Shanghai is between NT$16,000 and NT$19,000, that for indirect charter flights may be as low as NT$15,000.
CKS International Airport and Hsiaokang Airport in Kaohsiung will be authorized to handle the charter flights, while Shanghai's Putong or Hongchiao airports will be the designated airports in China.
As the application requirements approved yesterday stipulate that such charter flights ferry only those China-based Taiwanese businesspeople and their families who want to return from China, the first flight will depart Taiwan without passengers on board.
Taiwanese based elsewhere in China can take advantage of the "small three links" route, which originally was only opened for those businesspeople based in Fujian Province.
Addressing the press conference held after the weekly closed-door Cabinet meeting yesterday morning, Mainland Affairs Council Vice Chairman Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) said that the plan was designed in the best interests of all Taiwanese businesspeople based in China.
"It's important to take care of their needs although both sides have not yet launched the negotiation mechanism on cross-strait direct transportation," Chen said.
Chen also extended the government's appreciation of Beijing's positive response to the plan.
"I'm calling on China to make available application instructions for Taiwanese carriers as soon as possible," Chen said.
In addition to the New Year holidays, Chen said that the government is also studying the possibility of applying the indirect charter flight formula for other occasions, such as the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival.
"However, it requires cross-strait negotiations that take into account national security and sovereignty," Chen said.
According to the application requirements approved yesterday, only Taiwanese airlines operating international routes are qualified to apply to the Civil Aeronautics Administration for the service.
Those who wish to operate the service have to file applications at least 10 days ahead of the planned departure dates.
Those approved to operate such flights should submit their manifests to the Bureau of Immigration (境管局) three days before the departure dates.
The Straits Exchange Foundation and Taiwanese businesspeople associations in China will be responsible for working out a list of the passengers qualified for the charter flights.
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