The government hopes to discuss possible cargo charter flights with China after the Lunar New Year holiday, Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu (
Wu's comments came as the two sides prepare for passenger charter flights during the holiday period.
Charter flights were allowed in 2003 and this year for Taiwanese businesspeople in China wishing to return home for the Lunar New Year. This Lunar New Year, Taiwanese students and tourists will also be allowed to board the flights.
Six Taiwanese airlines and six Chinese airlines have been allowed to provide a total of 72 round-trip charter flights between Jan. 20 and Feb. 13 under an agreement worked out by civil aviation associations of the two sides last month.
Taiwan hopes that goodwill generated by the passenger flights will give impetus to eventual talks on cargo flights, Wu told Dow Jones Newswires.
"We hope the [political] atmosphere after passenger charter flights during the Chinese New Year will be more conducive for talks," Wu said.
The civil aviation organizations discussed both cargo and passenger charter flights last month, but no progress was made on cargo services, he said.
The two sides therefore decided early last month to go ahead with talks on passenger charter services, he said.
Wu declined to comment on the content of the talks or on what had impeded progress.
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