Lawmakers across party lines yesterday welcomed Premier Frank Hsieh's (謝長廷) announcement that the government would allow flights to Europe, South Asia and the Middle East to use China's air space.
"We hope Beijing will respond with a goodwill gesture and sit down to talk with us about passenger and cargo charger flight services for the sake of cross-strait interests," said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Chen Chin-jun (
Hsieh announced yesterday morning during the Executive Yuan's weekly meeting that the government would let the nation's airlines fly over China's air space to save flying time and costs.
The nation's carriers have been banned from using China's air space since 1949.
Hsieh also called on Beijing to talk with the government about passenger and cargo charter flights as soon as possible, as well as other charter flight services for special purposes.
While the government has said it prefers to talk about cargo charter flight services, Beijing has been more keen on the passenger charter flight program.
Chen Chin-jun also said that President Chen Shui-bian (
What President Chen has been insisting on, Chen Chin-jun said, is that cross-strait negotiations be conducted in accordance with international precedent and on the basis of equality, dignity and safety.
"Direct transportation links with China must correspond with national interests and cannot be belittled as China's domestic aviation routes," he said.
While the executive and legislative branches have different legal duties to perform, he said, the legislature's job is to oversee the government's performance rather than encroach on the government's power.
Chen Chin-jun made the remarks in response to a pledge by the People First Party (PFP) caucus earlier yesterday morning to push to achieve cross-strait direct transportation links during the next legislative session.
PFP caucus leader Hwang Yih-jiau (黃義交) said that his caucus would not rule out using the pan-blue alliance's numerical advantage in the legislature to pass revisions to articles 28, 29 and 30 of the Statute Governing the Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) during the next session to strip the government of its power to set up cross-strait direct transportation links.
"This is the last time we will give them the chance to do things right," Hwang said. "We will reach the end of our patience if the DPP-led government continues to procrastinate on cross-strait direct transportation links. What it is doing to the country is bringing down the nation's competitive edge and taking it to the verge of marginalization."
Hwang, however, acknowledged the new policy on flights, saying the the government is moving in the right direction but should have made the announcement earlier.
"The policy had better eventually lead to cross-strait direct transportation, which is the best way to save transportation time and costs," he said. "Actually, the government is already slow in its actions. However, it is better late than never."
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Pan Wei-kang (潘維剛) said that her caucus welcomes government policies that contribute to people's livelihoods and that it hoped the government would make good on its promise.
Pan also called on President Chen to indicate whether he supports the Cabinet's proposal.
"We'd really hate to see the president come out and negate the premier's decision," she said.
Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) caucus whip Mark Ho (何敏豪) said that his caucus welcomes the government's plan if Beijing accepts the nation's terms unconditionally.
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