Taiwan-based air carriers are keenly hoping for direct transport links across the Taiwan Strait after President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen said that the government's executive branch is currently devising a plan to provide a convenient and swift way to facilitate charter flights for passengers and cargo. He voiced hope that cross-strait consultations can begin as soon as possible to seek further progress in the "three-links" policy.
China Airlines and EVA Airways Corporation -- Taiwan's two largest aviation companies -- said that Beijing should respond quickly to Chen's call since the move would benefit both sides.
Taking factors such as travel time, fuel costs and market share into consideration, they said that the technical issues of cargo travel are easier to handle. They urged Taiwan authorities to put forward concrete measures, such as allowing mainland China's carriers to offer the same services.
Taiwanese make about four million trips every year to China via a third country or area, incurring an extra cost of about NT$30 billion (US$890 million).
If extra flying time and fuel costs are added, the total cost for travelling through a third area -- usually Hong Kong or Macau -- is about NT$100 billion per year.
According to estimates by the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) , the volume of present indirect cargo travel between Taiwan and mainland China amounts to around 66,225 tonnes each year.
In an effort to tap the cross-strait market, China Airlines has signed an accord for joint operations with China's Air China, China Southern Airlines Co, Ltd. and China Eastern Air, Ltd.
The MAC has announced that future cross-strait routes will be open to six carriers based in Taiwan.
An assessment by the Taipei Aviation Industry Association shows that direct cross-strait air links will help passengers flying between the two sides save some 50 percent in travel time on single trips and that carriers can save from US$50,000 to US$80,000 in operating costs on a round trip.
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
A group from the Taiwanese Designers in Australia association yesterday represented Taiwan at the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne. The march, held in the St. Kilda suburb, is the city’s largest LGBTQIA+ parade and the flagship event of the annual Midsumma Festival. It attracted more than 45,000 spectators who supported the 400 groups and 10,000 marchers that participated this year, the association said. Taiwanese Designers said they organized a team to march for Taiwan this year, joining politicians, government agencies, professionals and community organizations in showing support for LGBTQIA+ people and diverse communities. As the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex
MOTIVES QUESTIONED The PLA considers Xi’s policies toward Taiwan to be driven by personal considerations rather than military assessment, the Epoch Times reports Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) latest purge of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leadership might have been prompted by the military’s opposition to plans of invading Taiwan, the Epoch Times said. The Chinese military opposes waging war against Taiwan by a large consensus, putting it at odds with Xi’s vision, the Falun Gong-affiliated daily said in a report on Thursday, citing anonymous sources with insight into the PLA’s inner workings. The opposition is not the opinion of a few generals, but a widely shared view among the PLA cadre, the Epoch Times cited them as saying. “Chinese forces know full well that
RSS