The mainland side is ready to realize the "three direct links"
across the Taiwan Straits, a senior official said in Beijing on
Wednesday.
Li
Weiyi, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State
Council, said an increasingly earnest request for direct links for
mail, trade and transport services between the two sides was being
heard from the Taiwan community, especially its business
circles.
Achieving the direct links was the mainland's ongoing intention and
was necessary to boost economic and other ties between the two
sides, the spokesman said. The mainland was sincere and actively
supportive of the direct links.
The mainland side had reiterated its position on the direct links,
he said. It was an economic issue and political factors must not
interfere with negotiations on the matter. The direct air and
shipping services could be put into practice as soon as possible on
condition that it not be defined as links between two nations, he
said.
The mainland would take active measures to deal with an appeal by
Taiwanese people wanting to visit their relatives on the mainland
by direct charter flight, said the spokesman.
Pu
Zhaozhou, in charge of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan affairs at the
Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), said CAAC would
actively consider an application by Taiwanese airlines for direct
charter flights. Airlines on both sides of the strait could talk to
settle specific questions which might appear during the process,
the official said.
(Xinhua News
Agency October 31, 2002)