Amid speculation that negotiations on cross-strait cargo flights might finally be realized, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday assured Kinmen residents that the "small three links" between the offshore islands and China were "irreplaceable."
"The `small three links' are irreplaceable in their function, especially in servicing Taiwanese businesspeople working in Fujian. It's just more convenient to depart and arrive in Taiwan through Kinmen, particularly for those going to central Taiwan," MAC Chairman Joseph Wu said yesterday while visiting Kinmen.
The small three links, implemented four years ago, allow for limited trade and transportation between the offshore islands of Kinmen and Matsu and China. Most recently, Fujian Province lifted tourism restrictions, enabling Chinese residents to visit the islands. The small three links were partially established to stimulate the economic development of Kinmen and Matsu.
Wu explained that the government would continue to work on relaxing regulations overseeing the small three links, but said that these policies would be "progressively implemented."
He explained that with each new measure, an impact assessment would be performed before further measures are undertaken in accordance with demand.
"The small three links will have a role in the government's push to secure direct flights in the future," Wu said, explaining that the government would keep an eye on the small three links as it moved toward direct air links between Taipei and China.
Kinmen County Commissioner Lee Chu-feng (
Meanwhile, a Taiwanese delegation of airline representatives flew to Beijing Tuesday to meet with Pu Zhaozhou (浦照洲), executive director of China's Civil Aviation Association. Taipei Airlines Association head Michael Lo (樂大信), along with the heads of five other airline carriers in Taiwan, is scheduled to attend an annual new year banquet hosted by Pu. While representatives have denied that there would be discussion on cross-strait cargo flights, the banquet comes just as President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has said that the cargo flights are a priority in cross-strait policymaking. While Lo was formally authorized by the government to negotiate the Lunar New Year flights, he has not been authorized to discuss cargo flights.
Former Czech Republic-based Taiwanese researcher Cheng Yu-chin (鄭宇欽) has been sentenced to seven years in prison on espionage-related charges, China’s Ministry of State Security announced yesterday. China said Cheng was a spy for Taiwan who “masqueraded as a professor” and that he was previously an assistant to former Cabinet secretary-general Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰). President-elect William Lai (賴清德) on Wednesday last week announced Cho would be his premier when Lai is inaugurated next month. Today is China’s “National Security Education Day.” The Chinese ministry yesterday released a video online showing arrests over the past 10 years of people alleged to be
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