In surprising development, the Chinese official Xinhua News Agency yesterday announced a reshuffle of three Chinese government posts -- including the dismissal of a high-powered official currently visiting Taiwan to discuss cross-strait air links.
Bao Peide (
Bao declined to confirm or deny the move.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Chang Kuo-cheng (張國政), director-general of Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), who has met Bao over the past two days for discussions, responded with surprise yesterday when he learned about the reshuffle.
"There was a rumor saying that [Bao] would retire from his post in the end of this year, but I did not expect that China would remove him from his post so soon," Chang said.
He added that Taiwan did not arrange any official meetings with Bao during his nine-day stay in Taiwan.
The revelation of the re-shuffle came out late last night. However, in a seminar held yesterday morning, Bao called on the Taiwan government to send private interests to discuss the cross-strait direct air link issue with China.
"As soon as the two sides have held talks, we can launch air links," Bao said.
Bao said China is fully prepared for air links with Taiwan, but insisted that such talks have to be held by members of the private sector from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
He also pointed out that the CCAA has organized 52 groups of civil aviation personnel to visit Taiwan since 1993.
"We are a family. We should increase exchanges and cooperation for mutual benefit," he said.
Bao led a nine-member delegation to Taiwan last Saturday to attend the seminar which touched on the subject of compensating survivors and victim's families following aviation accidents. The seminar was held by the Taiwan-based Chinese Comparative Law Society (
Bao said Chinese authorities have authorized the private China Civil Aviation Association (CCAA) to talk with its Taiwanese counterpart on the issue of cross-strait air transportation links.
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