China and Taiwan begins historic direct flights
Posted 1-29-2005 at 07:44 PM
Six Chinese planes landed in Taipei and one in southern Kaohsiung while Taiwan's China Airlines and EVA Airways also each sent a flight to Beijing on the first day of the temporary opening of the air links.
The planes are all scheduled to return to their home bases later Saturday.
China's flag carrier Air China flew two planes from its subsidiary Shangdong Airlines to avoid showing the mainland flag in Taiwan.
Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian, who is currently visiting the Pacific nation of Palau, said the landmark flights proved "difficulties can be overcome as long as the two sides have sincerity and sit down to negotiate."
Chen also urged Beijing to allow the aircraft to fly over the airspace of other countries, rather than just Hong Kong as with the current services, the United Daily News here reported.
Passengers and crew aboard the flights that first landed in Taiwan were greeted at Taipei's Chiang Kai-shek International Airport by government officials, parliamentarians and business representatives.
"The exchange of commercial flights is a historic step in cross-strait relations and it can serve as model to settle future bilateral issues," said Chiu Tai-san, vice chairman of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, who greeted them in a red carpet welcome.
"Reaching an agreement allowing the flights means the two sides are able to shelve their political differences in order to seek mutual benefits to better bilateral ties," said Chiu after the first two mainland planes landed.
A pro-unification group was also waiting to greet the mainland planes at the terminal.
"Let's welcome the first direct flights which have contributed greatly to the future reunification of the two sides," shouted one man who was waving both China and Taiwan's national flags.
Follow up story
TAIPEI/BEIJING (Reuters) - Commercial jetliners from Taiwan and China took off on Saturday for the first non-stop flights in 55 years across the narrow strait dividing the arch- foes, raising hopes for permanent air links and better ties.
A China Airlines Airbus A330-300 wheeled off from Taipei's international airport shortly before 8 a.m. (7 p.m. EST Friday) and is set to be the first Taiwan airline to fly to Beijing since 1949, scheduled to land at 12:20 p.m. (11:20 p.m. EST Friday).
Minutes later, a Boeing from China Southern Airlines took off from the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, set to be the first Chinese airliner -- except for hijacked aircraft -- to land in Taipei since 1949, at 9:30 a.m. (8:30 p.m. EST Friday).
The temporary charter services will ferry Taiwan business people and their families home for the Lunar New Year on Feb. 9, the biggest holiday in the Chinese-speaking world.
Taiwan has banned direct transport links with China since the Nationalists fled to the island in 1949 after losing the mainland to the communists in a civil war.
"I can't describe how excited I am. The world is watching this historic moment and I am so proud to be part of it," said Jessica Pan, a flight attendant for Taiwan's China Airlines, before take-off.
An estimated 1 million of Taiwan's people, or 5 percent of its population, work or live in China and must normally transit in places like Hong Kong when traveling between the two sides.
China views self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province and vows to attack the democratic island of 23 million people if it moves toward formal statehood.
Officials from Taipei and Beijing held out hope the temporary charters could lead to a resumption of talks and reduce political tension in the Taiwan Strait, which many security analysts see as one of Asia's most dangerous flashpoints.
"We hope the two sides of the Taiwan Strait can turn their confrontational relationship into that of cooperation," said Joseph Wu, chairman of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council.
"I am very happy we can see the Lunar New Year charter flights taking place. That will make a very good basis for the development of cross-Strait relations."
Full Story @
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050129/wl_asia_afp/chinataiwanair_050129113943
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050129/wl_nm/taiwan_china_dc_2
Proud moment for all Chinese and Taiwanese, and the first step towards reunification!
The first direct flights between bitter rivals China and Taiwan since the end of a civil war 55 years ago started carrying Lunar New Year
holidaymakers amid hopes for improving cross-strait relations.
Six Chinese planes landed in Taipei and one in southern Kaohsiung while Taiwan's China Airlines and EVA Airways also each sent a flight to Beijing on the first day of the temporary opening of the air links.
The planes are all scheduled to return to their home bases later Saturday.
China's flag carrier Air China flew two planes from its subsidiary Shangdong Airlines to avoid showing the mainland flag in Taiwan.
Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian, who is currently visiting the Pacific nation of Palau, said the landmark flights proved "difficulties can be overcome as long as the two sides have sincerity and sit down to negotiate."
Chen also urged Beijing to allow the aircraft to fly over the airspace of other countries, rather than just Hong Kong as with the current services, the United Daily News here reported.
Passengers and crew aboard the flights that first landed in Taiwan were greeted at Taipei's Chiang Kai-shek International Airport by government officials, parliamentarians and business representatives.
"The exchange of commercial flights is a historic step in cross-strait relations and it can serve as model to settle future bilateral issues," said Chiu Tai-san, vice chairman of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, who greeted them in a red carpet welcome.
"Reaching an agreement allowing the flights means the two sides are able to shelve their political differences in order to seek mutual benefits to better bilateral ties," said Chiu after the first two mainland planes landed.
A pro-unification group was also waiting to greet the mainland planes at the terminal.
"Let's welcome the first direct flights which have contributed greatly to the future reunification of the two sides," shouted one man who was waving both China and Taiwan's national flags.
Follow up story
TAIPEI/BEIJING (Reuters) - Commercial jetliners from Taiwan and China took off on Saturday for the first non-stop flights in 55 years across the narrow strait dividing the arch- foes, raising hopes for permanent air links and better ties.
A China Airlines Airbus A330-300 wheeled off from Taipei's international airport shortly before 8 a.m. (7 p.m. EST Friday) and is set to be the first Taiwan airline to fly to Beijing since 1949, scheduled to land at 12:20 p.m. (11:20 p.m. EST Friday).
Minutes later, a Boeing from China Southern Airlines took off from the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, set to be the first Chinese airliner -- except for hijacked aircraft -- to land in Taipei since 1949, at 9:30 a.m. (8:30 p.m. EST Friday).
The temporary charter services will ferry Taiwan business people and their families home for the Lunar New Year on Feb. 9, the biggest holiday in the Chinese-speaking world.
Taiwan has banned direct transport links with China since the Nationalists fled to the island in 1949 after losing the mainland to the communists in a civil war.
"I can't describe how excited I am. The world is watching this historic moment and I am so proud to be part of it," said Jessica Pan, a flight attendant for Taiwan's China Airlines, before take-off.
An estimated 1 million of Taiwan's people, or 5 percent of its population, work or live in China and must normally transit in places like Hong Kong when traveling between the two sides.
China views self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province and vows to attack the democratic island of 23 million people if it moves toward formal statehood.
Officials from Taipei and Beijing held out hope the temporary charters could lead to a resumption of talks and reduce political tension in the Taiwan Strait, which many security analysts see as one of Asia's most dangerous flashpoints.
"We hope the two sides of the Taiwan Strait can turn their confrontational relationship into that of cooperation," said Joseph Wu, chairman of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council.
"I am very happy we can see the Lunar New Year charter flights taking place. That will make a very good basis for the development of cross-Strait relations."
Full Story @
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050129/wl_asia_afp/chinataiwanair_050129113943
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050129/wl_nm/taiwan_china_dc_2
