Members of pro-independence groups yesterday urged lawmakers to freeze the budget of the China Aviation Development Foundation (航空事業發展基金會) — the largest shareholder of China Airlines — as the airline had failed to deliver a new design for its planes that would clearly identify it as a Taiwanese airline.
The groups at a rally outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei said that they would start gathering signatures to seek public support for such a resolution.
The airline’s new cargo jet livery, which was unveiled last week, has the word “Cargo” painted at the front of the fuselage with an outline of Taiwan proper placed in the letter “C.”
“Is it an embarrassment to mention the word ‘Taiwan’ on the aircraft?” Taiwan Republic Office director Chilly Chen (陳峻涵) asked.
When answering lawmakers’ questions about the new design, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said that it was acceptable “so long as it allows the airline to fly to other countries,” Chen said, calling Su’s response “infuriating.”
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) and Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) last week held a news conference to criticize the new design, Chen said.
“We hope that the two legislators can do more than just express their disapproval verbally. We have proposed a resolution to freeze the budget of the foundation and we hope they can also support it. This would highlight the airline’s disregard for public opinion,” he said.
Taiwan has limited the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the collective efforts of the government, medical personnel and the public, Taiwan Solidarity Union Secretary-General Chou Ni-an (周倪安) said
“We cannot stand it that masks made in Taiwan and donated to other nations are delivered on a ‘Chinese’ aircraft. We are here to say out loud that the aircraft belong to Taiwan,” Chou said.
The foundation has been targeted because it owns a 34.45 percent stake in the airline, whereas the National Development Council only holds a 9.59 percent stake, she said.
Chunghwa Telecom and a trust fund run by the Bureau of Labor Insurance own 4.86 percent and 1.12 percent stakes in the airline respectively, she said, adding that more than half of the airline’s funding is taxpayers’ money.
“We want to tell President Tsai [Ing-wen (蔡英文)] and Premier Su that the nation’s name is ‘Taiwan’ or ‘Formosa,’ not ‘Cargo.’ We can choose what we want to be called, so stop replacing Taiwan with Cargo,” Chou said.
The two legislators should use their power to freeze the foundation’s budget until the new design contains the word “Taiwan,” she said, adding that placing an outline of Taiwan proper inside the letter “C” was completely unacceptable.
The groups would continue their fight until the airline changes the design, she added.
Northern Taiwan Society chairman Li Chuan-hsin (李川信) said that the new design makes it look as though Taiwan is part of China.
Taiwanese presidents use the airline’s planes to visit other nations and some foreigners have wondered why Taiwan has to lease an aircraft from China for state visits, Li said.
“The aircraft should represent Taiwan and as the airline’s management team was selected by the shareholders, who are government officials, the company has the ability to decide what it should be called,” Li said.
Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kuo-tsai (王國材), who serves as chairman of the foundation, last week said that the airline is planning to highlight Taiwan and images related to the nation more on its passenger jets.
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