CAAC Blasts Lee Teng-hui's Splittist Remarks

BEIJING, August 5 (Xinhua) -- The General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) today blasted Lee Teng-hui of Taiwan for his splittist remarks.

"Lee's 'two-states' statement has severely undermined relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits," and "endangered the motherland's peaceful reunification," CAAC officials said in a statement.

It is known to all that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's sacred territory. " Though the two sides have not re-united, Taiwan's status as part of Chinese territory has not changed at all," they said.

In recent years, the Chinese mainland has made unremitting efforts for the relaxation of relations between the two sides and the promotion of the process of eventual peaceful reunification of the motherland.

Civil aviation circles on both sides of the Straits have also contributed greatly to this effort in order to realize direct flight between the two sides at an early date.

Lee's "two-states" statement has seriously undermined the basis of contacts and exchanges between the two sides, hurt the feelings of the entire Chinese nation, and cast a heavy shadow over the realization of "three exchanges": exchanges of direct mail service, trade, air and shipping services, the CAAC said.

It is the general wish of the entire nation to solve the Taiwan issue, realize the "three exchanges," and bring about the eventual peaceful reunification of the motherland, they noted.

"We call on our counterparts in Taiwan to contribute to the maintenance of and adherence to the 'One China' principle, and to the promotion of the process of eventual reunification of the motherland," they said.