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Island policy head admits frustration over not reaching deal on regular flights
The head of Taiwan's top body that plans mainland policy  sees little chance of improvement in cross-strait relations ahead of the island's presidential election in March.
While the island was trying to remove a long-standing ban on direct flights to  the mainland to increase cross-strait exchanges, Beijing had dragged its feet on striking any deal  for political reasons, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) chairman Chen Ming-tong  said.
'It would have been a milestone if an agreement  had been reached,' said Dr Chen, referring to the cross-strait talks on regular passenger and cargo charter flights as well as visits to the island by mainland tourists.
The two sides have held talks on the issue for nearly two years.
But Beijing has grown increasingly annoyed by what it sees as pro-independence moves by  Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian,  resulting in a refusal to deal with  him.
The moves by  Mr Chen that have irritated Beijing include defining Taiwan and the mainland as two countries on each side of the Taiwan Strait, abolishing a government body tasked with eventual cross-strait reunification and seeking to rejoin the United Nations  under the name 'Taiwan' as well as holding a referendum on that issue.
Dr Chen  said if the two sides were able to reach an agreement 'it would take just one year to have cross-strait direct flights'.
He said charter flights for either passengers or cargo could become scheduled flights, paving the way for the establishment of direct flights between the two sides.
Taiwan has banned direct transport links with the mainland since 1949, resulting in  passengers having to  change flights, principally in Hong Kong.
But the island agreed to launch holiday charter flights with the mainland in 2003.
It has also sought to launch 360 cargo charter flights across the  strait each year since 2005.
Beijing asked that the issue be discussed together with visits by mainland tourists to Taiwan and the passenger charters.
Taipei criticised the move, saying it was politically motivated and served only to hamper progress in the negotiations.
'Obviously, Beijing does not want to give the credit to President Chen,'  Dr Chen said, referring to the mainland's wrath over the Taiwanese leader's recent push  to  hold the UN membership referendum.
Dr Chen  defended the referendum push, which  the US has branded as the first step towards Taiwanese independence.
If so, Beijing  could resort to its Anti-Secession Act and  send the People's Liberation Army to invade the island.
'[The referendum]  is the most civilised way to express the will of the 23 million Taiwanese people,' Dr Chen  said, adding that such an expression of opinion had nothing to do with changing  the status quo, but concerned the general well-being of the Taiwanese, whose rights were being denied by Beijing.
He said although the UN was the 'big countries' club', Taiwan still hoped to join because  it could then acquire membership  in other global bodies, including the World Health Organisation.
'We are not terrorists, nor have we demanded an accession at gunpoint,' Dr Chen said.
Asked if the government would  abandon trying to join the UN in the name of Taiwan if voters did not support it,  Dr Chen  said no referendum on the issue would be held in the  next three years.
'But the government would still proceed with its UN membership efforts,' he said.
He rejected claims by the opposition Kuomintang that the UN membership bid and referendum push by President Chen had been the major cause of the breakdown in cross-strait talks over the Olympic torch relay.
'That had nothing to do with it because the [UN push] was much earlier than the torch issue.
'If they had thought the UN bid was an issue, they would not have agreed to hold talks  in August [about the torch relay in Taiwan,]'  Dr Chen added.
The International Olympic Committee announced last month that the torch relay would skip Taiwan  as the two sides  had not reached an agreement  in August.
Dr Chen  said Beijing was to blame for raising an extra demand on the eve of the signing of an agreement between the two sides.
The extra demand was for Taipei to agree that no national flags would be raised or anthems played when the torch passed through Taipei, a condition the  island found impossible to accept.
Asked whether he would expect a harsher  policy on Taiwan to be adopted at the Communist Party's 17th National Congress, being held in Beijing from October 15, Dr Chen  said: 'We will give it a close watch.'
A recent MAC report  said Beijing would hope to maintain relatively stable relations with Taiwan against the backdrop of the  next year's Olympics.



Taipei expert gloomy on strait relations