Non-stop flights a big step towards direct exchanges

The landmark launch of non-stop charter flights between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan over the upcoming Spring Festival represents a breakthrough in cross-Straits relations.

The agreement, inked between the mainland-based Cross-Strait Aviation Transport Exchange Council and the Taipei Aviation Association on Saturday, could mark a step towards the end of a decades-old ban on direct air links by allowing the first non-stop charter flights across the Taiwan Straits since 1949.

Under the deal, from January 29 to February 20, Taiwan business people working on the mainland and their family members can fly directly to and from Taipei and Kaohsiung to spend the Spring Festival with their loved ones. The 24 round-trip flights, flying over Hong Kong, will connect the two cities with Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

This is largely attributed to the booming economic, personnel and cultural exchanges between the mainland and the island over the past two decades, which is in the fundamental interests of the Chinese people across the Straits.

According to official statistics, the indirect trade volume between the mainland and Taiwan hit US$63.48 billion last year, 36.2 per cent higher than that in the same period of 2003. Taiwan gained a trade surplus of US$42.42 billion.

Cross-Straits personnel exchange has also maintained a growth momentum. A total of 32.91 million Taiwanese visited the mainland from 1987 to last September. Around 1 million Taiwanese compatriots are now living and working on the mainland.

However, due to Taipei's ban on direct transport exchanges, travellers between Taiwan and the mainland have to fly via a third destination, usually Hong Kong or Macao, adding four hours to what should be an hour-long flight and proving more costly.

Criticizing indirect transport links as a waste of both time and money, Taiwan's business people and residents have been pressuring the Taiwan authorities to lift the ban.

Business people from Taiwan hold that the delay of three direct links by the Taiwan authority is detrimental to Taiwan's economy. Taiwan could lose its competitive edge in the Asian economy because of its higher cost.

Beijing has already made it very clear that as long as Taiwan's authorities allow its non-government organizations to come to the mainland for talks on the issue of three direct links, there is no difficulty in solving this problem.

But fearing that growing economic interdependence with the mainland could undermine its ideology of "Taiwan independence," the Taiwan authorities just pay lip service and deliberately delay or even create hurdles for the talks on the three direct-links issue.

During the 2003 Chinese lunar new year holidays, charter flights were commissioned to Taiwan airlines only and they had to fly empty to Shanghai to pick up passengers. In addition, required to make stops at a third point, the flights were not allowed to fly directly between Taiwan and the mainland.

There was no similar service last year, given the political tensions between the two sides of the Straits.

Saturday's move deserves applause as a step forward. Yet, as a solution to meet special demands at a particular time, charter flights will by no means meet the long-term needs of the people across the Straits and are far from meeting people's expectations for regular direct links.

Realizing direct transport links at the will of the people across the Straits will give Taiwan's economy a shot in the arm. It will be helpful for the long-term development of Taiwan and the stability of cross-Straits relations.

Source: China Daily