Incoming Straits Exchange Foundation chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) yesterday dismissed media reports claiming that he described cross-strait flights as direct flights.
Chiang, who left for Okinawa yesterday, told reporters at the Taoyuan International Airport that he had never said "cross-strait" aviation routes were "direct" aviation routes after media reports quoted him as saying that during a recent interview with Japanese media.
Chiang said that the "cross-strait aviation route" was a compromise term by both sides after they could not agree on whether they should be defined as international or domestic.
"Hopefully negotiation between Taiwan and China will begin as soon as possible so that the new Cabinet can issue administration orders as soon as Ma is sworn in," Chiang said when talking about president-elect Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) campaign policies of implementing weekend direct charter flights, opening up Taiwan to Chinese tourists and deregulating currency exchange between the New Taiwan dollar and the yuan.
What's more, he stressed in the interview that "scheduled direct flights" between the two sides would be implemented next year.
He said that the resumption of cross-strait dialogue would be the first step toward the improvement of cross-strait relations and that he would not rule out the possibility of high-ranking Chinese officials visiting Taiwan or his visiting China after he takes over as SEF chairman.
Before talking with the new chairman of China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, Chiang said he would visit China twice in his capacity as KMT vice chairman. The first visit is scheduled for Thursday to express gratitude for the support Taiwanese businesspeople showed for Ma while the second visit is scheduled for May 6 to prepare for the resumption of cross-strait dialogue.
The German city of Hamburg on Oct. 14 named a bridge “Kaohsiung-Brucke” after the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung. The footbridge, formerly known as F566, is to the east of the Speicherstadt, the world’s largest warehouse district, and connects the Dar-es-Salaam-Platz to the Brooktorpromenade near the Port of Hamburg on the Elbe River. Timo Fischer, a Free Democratic Party member of the Hamburg-Mitte District Assembly, in May last year proposed the name change with support from members of the Social Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Union. Kaohsiung and Hamburg in 1999 inked a sister city agreement, but despite more than a quarter-century of
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday expressed “grave concerns” after Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) reiterated the city-state’s opposition to “Taiwanese independence” during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強). In Singapore on Saturday, Wong and Li discussed cross-strait developments, the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Prime Minister Wong reiterated that Singapore has a clear and consistent ‘one China’ policy and is opposed to Taiwan independence,” it said. MOFA responded that it is an objective fact and a common understanding shared by many that the Republic of China (ROC) is an independent, sovereign nation, with world-leading
The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) has been investigating nine shell companies working with Prince Holding Group, and the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office is seeking further prosecution of alleged criminals, a source said yesterday. The nine companies and three Taiwanese nationals were named by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Oct. 14 as Specially Designated Nationals as a result of a US federal court indictment. Prince Holding founder Chen Zhi (陳志) has been charged with fraud, conspiracy, money laundering and overseeing Prince Holding’s suspected forced-labor camps in Cambodia, the indictment says. Intelligence shared between Taiwan,
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
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