Academics shed light on Lien's air lift plan

"A model based on what East and West Germany had done could eliminate fears over national security."

Su Chi, co-convener of the KMT-PFP alliance's national defense task force

Academics in national defense and cross-strait affairs say Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan's (連戰) recent proposal on direct cross-strait links is not as risk-free as claimed.

In a speech at the KMT's 16th National Party Congress on Saturday, Lien said the 1948 Berlin Airlift could form a basis for direct transport links with China.

Lien his proposed cross-strait air corridor would safeguard the nation's national security while also allowing Taiwanese investors to invigorate the economy by pursuing potential industrial and commercial benefits across the Strait.

"Lien's idea is creative but not pragmatic," said Holmes Liao (廖宏祥), a lecturer at National Defense University and research fellow at the Taiwan Research Institute's Division of Strategic and International Studies.

"Given the present lack of cross-strait trust, Lien's so-called air corridor does not guarantee a worry-free national defense [for Taiwan]," Liao said.

Su Chi (蘇起), co-convener of the KMT-People First Party (PFP) alliance's national defense task force and a former chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, elaborated on the baffling proposal Lien had mentioned in his speech.

Su Lien was referring to the possibility of creating air routes for direct flights as the former East and West Germany had done prior to reunification.

Lien apparently confused these flights with the Soviet Union's blockade of West Berlin in 1948 that prompted the US and its allies to undertake a vast airlift to keep the isolated German city supplied with food and fuel.

The airlift continued until May 1949, when the Soviets lifted the blockade.

"The main misgiving facing Taiwan in the implementation of direct links is the issue of national security," Su said.

"A model based on what East and West Germany had done could eliminate fears over national security," Su said.

Visualizing the cross-strait air corridor would work, Su said both Taiwan and China would need to first provide a designated point in their respective areas where an air route could be carved out.

"For example, let's say Taipei is the designated point in Taiwan and Shanghai is the one designated in China," Su said. "With one specific air route carved out, Taiwan's fears over national security would be smoothed away as all flights operating between Taiwan and China would then travel on this one specific route."

Along a set of supporting measures, Su said, the primary intention Lien's cross-strait air corridor is to smooth away fears over national security.

Due security concerns, the government is reviewing the council's proposal of allowing Taiwanese airlines to operate flights to China via either Okinawa or Hong Kong.

Liu Chao-hsuan (劉兆玄), vice president of a KMT think tank and a former premier, said the limited opening of direct cross-strait flights proposed by Lien would save travel time across the Strait as well as bring Taiwan vast sums of revenue from tourism and allow Taiwanese investors to leave their headquarters in Taiwan rather than move their entire businesses to China.

While the cross-strait air corridor is technically feasible, Liao said Lien's proposal still posed a threat to national security.

"Who can be sure that China's commercial airplanes crossing the Strait won't be accompanied by a number of jet fighters for a surprise attack on Taiwan?" Liao said, adding that a Trojan horse attack was possible with the implementation of Lien's proposed air corridor.

Noting Beijing's animosity toward Taiwan, Liao said some kind of political arrangement is a prerequisite for considering the technical aspects of an air corridor.

"Without mutual trust, it is too early to talk about [an air corridor]," he said.