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Ma pays visit to shipping tycoon Chang Jung-fa

President-elect Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) paid a visit to shipping tycoon Chang Jung-fa (張榮發) yesterday morning, promising to realize his campaign policy of implementing weekend cross-strait charter flights by July and daily charter flights by the end of this year.

Ma also promised to push for an extension of cross-strait flight routes after his inauguration, allowing planes from Taiwan to fly to a third country after stopping in China, and vice versa.

Chang, chairman of the Evergreen Group, urged Ma to improve cross-strait relations immediately and help the nation’s economy to prosper.

Chang further lashed out at the administrtion of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) for what he said was its long-term negligence of shipping policy, urging Ma to present a clear policy on the issue.

Chang said incentives such as tax exemptions and low-interest loans for building vessels for shipping proprietors would encourage more Taiwanese ships to fly the Republic of China flag.

Increasing the fleet of Taiwanese-registered ships would also mean having more vessels to call upon to transport supplies in case of war.

Ma pledged to ultimately normalize cross-strait flights and introduce a tonnage-based tax system for shippers, while expecting the Evergreen Group to lead the development of the shipping industry in Taiwan.

“We will definitely seek to normalize cross-strait flights and increase the cost effectiveness for the aviation and shipping industries,” Ma said yesterday after meeting Chang at the company’s headquarters.

During the 30-minute meeting, Chang also shared his concerns over the nation’s moral education, calling on the president-elect to put greater efforts into the education system.

“Taiwanese people are friendly and kind. However, these good characteristics disappeared because of ignorance of moral education and political disputes over the past eight years,” Chang said.

In response, Ma said he shared Chang’s worries about the quality of the nation’s education and promised to recover the nation’s core values, including kindness and diligence, after his inauguration.
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