Premier Su Tseng-chang (
"If we finish all the necessary negotiations, direct chartered flights during the Dragon Boat Festival will become a reality," Su said.
Su made his remarks in response to a question by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Chen-nan (
Minister of Transportation and Communications Kuo Yao-chi (
She added though that the government was hoping that the chartered flight issue can be combined with the lifting of the ban on Chinese visitors so "there will be more benefits for the government."
In response to Su and Kuo's comment, Lee showed statistics from an online survey that said 33 percent of Taiwanese people do not welcome Chinese visitors, as they are concerned over the potential spread of diseases and national security.
"We cannot simply lift the ban on Chinese visitors before relevant [safeguard] mechanisms are set up," Lee said.
Having answered Lee's question, Su went on to say that former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (
Su told lawmakers he was disappointed at Lien's failure to promote the idea of "one China with each side having its own interpretation." This, the premier, said would be an acknowledgement of Hu's recognition of the existence of the Republic of China and should put a stop to Beijing's blocking of Taiwan in international settings.
Touching on other cross-strait issues, Su said that the government would not recognize diplomas from Chinese academic institutions without first studying the potential impact of the initiative on the development of Taiwan's education system.
"Recognizing diplomas earned in China is not only a political issue, but also a difficult task that needs careful consideration as it would affect Taiwanese students' rights, opportunities and benefits," Su said.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost