Officials with the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) in Taipei visited the Presidential Office yesterday to express their concern and seek clarification on recent media reports that their American rivals, GE and Pratt and Whitney, had won the contract to supply engines to China Airlines.
Office director Derek Marsh and EU representative in Taipei Brian McDonald went to the Presidential Office yesterday morning to express their concern, said Maggie Yeh (葉美慧), press and public affairs officer of the trade office.
China Airlines failed to keep a promise to reveal its final decision on the engine purchase yesterday. The airline said the purchase was a business decision and had nothing to do with politics.
Media reports this week suggested the purchase was held up by the Presidential Office, which was hoping to use the sale to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough. The reports said the Presidential Office wanted to secure an overseas stopover for President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). According to the reports, Rolls Royce lost the bid to its US rivals after the British government failed to grant Chen a stopover.
Presidential Office spokesman James Huang (
A China Airlines spokesman, meanwhile, said the deal had not been finalized.
Local media have said that British Prime Minister Tony Blair had sent a letter to Chen to lobby for the deal.
The Presidential Office has declined to confirm the report.
According to media reports, the contract for the engines can be used to extract promises from the US to arrange for more stopovers for Vice President Annette Lu (
Marsh and McDonald brought their concerns to Presidential Office Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (
Spokesman Huang refused to comment on the private meeting.
The BTCO refused to say whether the British government had turned down Taiwan's request of a stopover for Chen in London.
A BTCO spokeswoman said the British government supports a fair and transparent decision-making process for the engine deal free from any non-commercial intervention.
Competition over the engine deal followed a bitter battle earlier this year between Europe's Airbus and Boeing of the US over the purchase of new jets by China Airlines.
The airline eventually compromised by purchasing 10 Boeing 747-400s -- six passenger and four cargo planes -- and 12 Airbus A330-300s.
GE has already secured a contract to supply engines for the four Boeing cargo planes.
China Airlines operates a fleet of 57 aircraft -- 42 passenger planes and 15 cargo planes.
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