Taiwan's Chen proposes charter cargo flights on regular basis

Asian Economic News, Feb 22, 2005

TAIPEI, Feb. 16 Kyodo

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian on Wednesday proposed charter cargo flights on a regular basis between Taiwan and China following the landmark direct charter passenger flights during the three-week lunar New Year holidays that started in late January.

At an annual reunion party attended by mainland-based Taiwanese business representatives and government officials, Chen called for the resumption of dialogue with rival China to break the current deadlock in cross-strait relations.

''The opening of charter flights during the spring festival has said it all that as long as both sides show sincerity to each other and are willing to sit down to talk, nothing is impossible,'' Chen said.

China views Taiwan as part of its inseparable territory that should be reunited, by force if necessary.

Direct sea and air links across the 160-kilometer-wide Taiwan Strait have been prohibited on national security grounds. All passengers and cargos traveling between both places have to make a detour via a third place, mostly Hong Kong and Macau.

Despite escalated political tensions, Taiwan and China have become increasingly interdependent economically in recent years, with around 1 million Taiwan nationals living and working in China and Taiwan investing some US$100 billion in China.

In this regard, pressure to Chen's pro-independence government for a reconciliatory mainland policy has been growing with the business sector clamoring for direct links to reduce high shipping costs in one hand and for better survival prospects on the mainland on the other.

During Wednesday's meeting, Chen also denounced Beijing's plan to enact an anti-secession law, which he believes will anger Taiwan's people and widen the gap between both sides.

''It will do no good to the cross-strait relations but only deepen misunderstanding,'' Chen said.

The law, set to be approved in March, has been widely considered a preemptive measure aiming to establish the legal benchmarks to prevent Taiwan from declaring formal independence.

To counter Beijing's move, the Taiwan government has appealed to the international community and stepped up its lobbying efforts by dispatching envoys to such countries as the United States and Japan.