A Chinese civil aviation delegation will arrive in Taiwan late this month to attend a seminar on the certification of aircraft airworthiness, an official said yesterday.
The delegation will be headed by Li Jian (李健), deputy director of China’s General Administration of Civil Aviation, said the official from the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA).
At the behest of the CAA, the Taipei Airlines Association has joined China’s Cross-Strait Aviation Transport Exchange Council in organizing the seminar on aircraft airworthiness issues, which have proven contentious because of sovereignty disputes.
As aircraft are seen as an extension of national territory, countries that maintain aviation agreements tend to mutually authorize their licensed aircraft maintenance engineers to inspect aircraft from the other country and certify their airworthiness.
Taiwan and China, however, have avoided touching on aircraft airworthiness issues since they forged direct air links roughly two years ago because such themes involve sensitive statehood recognition issues.
The mutual certification of spare parts, maintenance engineers and maintenance facilities has proven thorny because the relevant certificates bear national titles and the issuance of such certificates involve the exercise of public authority.
That has led to inconvenience for carriers from the two sides and increased their operating costs because they have to stock spare parts and components on each cross-strait flight to meet contingencies.
Most Chinese carriers have posted licensed aircraft maintenance engineers at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, while Taiwanese carriers tend to station maintenance personnel at the Beijing and Shanghai airports to conduct airworthiness inspections.
They also have to assign licensed maintenance engineers to each flight to less frequently served destinations to inspect and maintain the aircraft upon arrival.
Although the Taiwanese and Chinese officials have met many times to discuss flight increase issues, they have never touched on airworthiness topics because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The CAA official said the upcoming seminar will mainly provide a forum for both sides to express their opinions and views.
“The forum will not be an occasion for negotiating airworthiness issues,” the official said, adding that the CAA hopes to learn more about China’s position to pave the way for future talks.
According to airline sources, China once suggested that the Taipei Airlines Association and the Beijing-based Cross-Strait Aviation Transport Exchange Council be authorized to issue certificates of airworthiness.
Taiwan has not yet accepted such a proposal.
The CAA reportedly has informed the Mainland Affairs Council of Beijing’s proposal. The council has not yet made any response to the suggestion, the sources said.
In related news, the National Immigration Agency yesterday said it has approved an application by Chinese Culture Minister Cai Wu (蔡武) to visit Taiwan next month.
It will be the first visit to Taiwan from a Chinese Cabinet minister since 1998, when Zhu Lilan (朱麗蘭), China’s then-science and technology minister visited.
Cai will attend a seminar to be held in Taipei on Sept. 6, said organizers from the Shen Chun-chih Culture Foundation, a non-profit Taipei-based body focusing on cultural exchanges with China.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP
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