BEIJING'S RETICENCE KEEPS CHARTER FLIGHTS GROUNDED: PREMIER
2003-12-29 17:38:39
Taipei, Dec. 29 (CNA) Charter flight services between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait during Chinese Lunar New Year have yet to get off the ground because mainland China refuses to discuss the issue, Premier Yu Shyi-kun said Monday.
Speaking at a year-end news conference, the premier said that he had announced earlier that the effort to organize the flights would continue and welcomed bilateral charter flights instead of having only Taiwan-based carriers ply the routes as was the case earlier this year. He also said that he was amenable to adding Beijing to the list of destinations.
However, the premier said that since nothing could be done without the cooperation of Beijing, the idea of running the charter flights again this Chinese New Year, which falls on Jan. 22, 2004, have come to naught because Beijing has shown no intention of consulting with Taiwan on the issue.
The premier criticized mainland China for being two-faced on the flights, saying that Beijing told the media that it was all for the idea, while making no effort to talk with Taiwan to make the charter flights actually happen.
He stressed that the stance of the government has always been clear, which is that it can negotiate anytime under the principles of "equality and dignity."
Meanwhile, regarding Beijing's earlier statement that direct cross-strait links would not involve the "one China" issue, Yu said that actions speak louder than words and that Beijing needs to sit down at the negotiating table.
(By Lilian Wu)
enditem/mw
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
