Impasse over strait flights blamed on Taipei's obstruction
Beijing yesterday took an unyielding position on Taipei's proposal for charter flights across the Taiwan Strait, saying such services must be treated as 'domestic affairs'.
Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Zhang Mingqing said Beijing's position - summarised in a 12-word precondition issued last year - was that such flights were domestic affairs and the current impasse between the two sides on the issue was because Taipei did not agree on the precondition.
The precondition stated that direct flights across the Taiwan Strait must be 'domestic, bilateral and reciprocal as well as beneficial to the two sides'.
Mr Zhang said the mainland made an exception last year to allow Taiwanese airlines to operate charter flights that touched down in Hong Kong. Authorities in Fujian made arrangements to help Taiwanese businessmen return to the island for Lunar New Year celebrations in January - even though full charter services had not been set up this year.
The spokesman stressed that Beijing would not harm the interests of Taiwanese businessmen who had invested in the mainland, despite the mainland's struggle with what he called 'independent forces' in Taiwan.
'We always believe Taiwanese compatriots are our brothers in flesh and blood,' Mr Zhang said. 'You can rest assured that they are different from [Taiwanese President] Chen Shui-bian and his cohorts, who stubbornly insist on taking the Taiwan independence path.'
Taiwan responded to Mr Zhang's comment yesterday by saying cross-strait bilateral flights should not be blocked by political obstacles.
'We should not let the 12-word precondition become an obstacle to future lunar New Year charter flights between the two sides,' said cabinet spokesman Chen Chi-mai.
Chiu Tai-san, spokesman and vice-chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, said the cross-strait issue hinged on one word - 'willingness'.
'If the mainland is willing to do something, it can drop its precondition,' he said.
'The Lunar New Year charter flight was a good example. At that time, Beijing did not insist on the 'one-China' principle before finally giving the green light.'
