As preparations intensify for discussions on direct transport links with China, a high-level Chinese delegation arrived in Taiwan yesterday to attend a one-day academic seminar tomorrow on the legal aspects of aviation accidents, with a particular focus on possible cross-strait flights.
Bao Peide (鮑培德), one of the five deputy directors of Beijing's Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), is heading the delegation comprising officials from China's State Council and the CAAC, one academic and senior executives of China's three largest civil airlines -- Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines.
Media speculation suggested that the delegation might meet Taiwan's officials to discuss cross-strait direct transportation but officials on both sides adopted a low profile and declined to comment on the matter yesterday.
Asked on his arrival at CKS International Airport whether Chinese civil airlines were ready to fly to Taipei, Bao said, "I hope one day they will," a TV report said yesterday.
Bao declined to answer further questions about whether they would exchange views with their Taiwan counterparts on direct air links between Taiwan and China during their estimated eight to 10 day stay in Taiwan.
The delegation was invited by the Taipei-based academic group, the Chinese Society of Comparative Law (
It is expected that officials from the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), the Civil Aeronautics Administration under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications as well as local air carriers will attend tomorrow's seminar.
MAC Vice Chairman Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) told reporters Friday Taipei would take steps to open direct links with China by inviting them sit down to talk after a comprehensive study on the technicalities of liberalization was completed in the end of November.
Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen (錢其琛) last month backed down on Beijing's previous preconditions to talks that Taipei accept its "one China" policy.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS