Beijing is expected to announce new policies regarding plans to implement cross-strait cargo charter flights tomorrow, according to a report in China's official China Daily newspaper yesterday.
The report quoted Pu Zhaozhou (浦照洲), executive director of the China Civil Aviation Association, as saying that China was willing to take practical steps toward an early implementation of direct air links, including charter cargo flights, between Taiwan and China.
"Related officials will elaborate on our attitude toward and our stance on the issue at the news conference to be held by the Taiwan Affairs Office [TAO]," Pu said.
The TAO's weekly press conference is usually scheduled to be held on Thursday, but it has reportedly already been pushed back to tomorrow.
Efforts toward implementing charter cargo flights came under the spotlight following the successful operation of non-stop charter passenger flights for Taiwanese businesspeople during the Lunar New Year. Prompted by the breakthrough charter flights and the preceding negotiations, President Chen Shui-bian (
Pu made the comments on Tuesday during an annual New Year's banquet hosted by China's Civil Aviation Association. The banquet brought together airline operators from China, Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong. In attendance were representatives from Taiwan's primary carriers, including Michael Lo (
"The passenger charters just concluded at the Lunar New Year holiday provided a sound basis for future cargo charter flights across the Taiwan Strait," Lo was quoted as saying.
Lo and Pu, during a meeting in Macau on Jan. 15, hammered out an agreement that made possible the just concluded New Year charter passenger flights.
As head of the TAA, Lo had been formally authorized by the Mainland Affairs Council to conduct negotiations with Beijing under the supervision of transportation officials.
The government should improve children’s outdoor spaces and accelerate carbon reduction programs, as the risk of heat-related injury due to high summer temperatures rises each year, Greenpeace told a news conference yesterday. Greenpeace examined summer temperatures in Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Hsinchu City, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung to determine the effects of high temperatures and climate change on children’s outdoor activities, citing data garnered by China Medical University, which defines a wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) of 29°C or higher as posing the risk of heat-related injury. According to the Central Weather Administration, WBGT, commonly referred to as the heat index, estimates
Taipei and other northern cities are to host air-raid drills from 1:30pm to 2pm tomorrow as part of urban resilience drills held alongside the Han Kuang exercises, Taiwan’s largest annual military exercises. Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Taoyuan, Yilan County, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to hold the annual Wanan air defense exercise tomorrow, following similar drills held in central and southern Taiwan yesterday and today respectively. The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Maokong Gondola are to run as usual, although stations and passenger parking lots would have an “entry only, no exit” policy once air raid sirens sound, Taipei
Taipei placed 14th in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Best Student Cities 2026 list, its highest ever, according to results released yesterday. With an overall score of 89.1, the city climbed 12 places from the previous year, surpassing its previous best ranking of 17th in 2019. Taipei is “one of Asia’s leading higher-education hubs,” with strong employer activity scores and students “enjoying their experience of the city and often keen to stay after graduation,” a QS staff writer said. In addition to Taipei, Hsinchu (71st), Tainan (92nd), Taichung (113th) and Taoyuan (130th) also made QS’ list of the top 150 student cities. Hsinchu showed the
Environmental groups yesterday filed an appeal with the Executive Yuan, seeking to revoke the environmental impact assessment (EIA) conditionally approved in February for the Hsieh-ho Power Plant’s planned fourth liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving station off the coast of Keelung. The appeal was filed jointly by the Protect Waimushan Seashore Action Group, the Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association and the Keelung City Taiwan Head Cultural Association, which together held a news conference outside the Executive Yuan in Taipei. Explaining the reasons for the appeal, Wang Hsing-chih (王醒之) of the Protect Waimushan Seashore Action Group said that the EIA failed to address
RSS