Taiwan Aircraft May Fly Over Mainland When Necessary

In the wake of the "September 11" terrorist attacks in the United States, China's mainland agreed Friday that civil aircraft may fly over the territory of the mainland, when necessary.

This was confirmed by mainland officials upon the request of their Taiwan counterparts in a meeting between officials from the aviation industries of the two sides.

Leaders of a committee on the exchange of air transport between the two sides of the straits under the China Civil Aviation Association met with a delegation composed of officials of six Taiwan-based airlines.

The two sides agreed to hold a special symposium on issues such as flight safety and in-flight security as early as possible.

In the meeting, the two sides also discussed the issue of opening direct air link across the straits. The mainland officials proposed that the two sides should open offices on each other's side on an equal footing, before the direct air links are set up.

Chinese Mainland Wants Early Direct Air Links Across Taiwan Straits

Bao Peide, deputy director of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, said that direct air links across the Taiwan Straits are in the interests of the people of the Chinese mainland and Taiwan Province.

All NGOs, associations and companies involved in the aviation industry should join hands in an effort to realize an early opening of direct air links between the two sides, he said.

Bao made the remarks Friday while meeting with a visiting delegation from Taiwan's civil aviation industry composed of leaders of six airlines in the island province.

He reiterated the principles of "One-China, Direct and Two-Way, and Being Mutual Beneficial" for the mainland-proposed "Three Direct Links" which refers to direct links in trade, mail and transportation services across the straits.

Cross-Straits Flights to Carry No Flags

Civil aircraft from China's mainland and Taiwan will carry no flags of national identity, after the two sides agree to open direct flights across the Taiwan Straits.

Leaders of the civil aviation industries from China's mainland and Taiwan reached the consensus Friday, when leaders of a committee on the exchange of air transportation between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits under the China Civil Aviation Association met with a Taiwan delegation composed of officials from six airlines based in the island province.

They held the same opinion that both sides have suffered great losses for the failure to realize the direct air links across the straits so far. Direct cross-straits flights are key to the development of the civil aviation industries of the two sides, they said.

Direct air links are part of a package of proposals known as the "Three Direct Links" put forward by the mainland two decades ago, which refers to direct links in trade, transportation, and postal services.

The Taiwan Authorities have drawn more and more criticism from the Chinese across the world for their attempts to use the opening of the direct links as a bargaining chip in the cross-straits talks and negotiations.






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