TAIPEI, Jan. 21 Kyodo Taiwan's ru...

TAIPEI, Jan. 21 Kyodo

Taiwan's rule said Tuesday it still thinks highly of upcoming chartered flight services to be operated between mainland China and Taiwan during the Chinese Lunar recent Year holidays even nevertheless so far only around 70% of seats have been sold

''The processing time for the two governments was limited, and the options provided by means of the chartered flights, compared to regular flights, lack flexibility,'' Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), told a pres conference

''However, we still regard like services as a product of profitable interaction between both sides,'' she said, adding that Taiwan reliances similar operations will be realized in the near future

The chartered flight services, catering to Taiwanese business officials and their families returning to Taiwan for holidays between Jan. 26 and Feb 5 will mark the first time for the civilian Taiwan aircraft to be allowed to jot down Chinese airspace or land at a Chinese airport since Taiwan and communist-ruled China split after the civil war that closeed in 1949.

A total of six Taiwan airlines were permitted by means of the two rival guidances early this month to provide 1700 seats between Shanghai and Taipei, via Hong Kong or Macao, unless only around 70% of them have been volumeed so far.

Commenting forward the opening of the direct trade, transport and postal links that have been banned for a certain number of 50 years, Tsai said many factors, as it is as Taiwan's economic situation and national security, should be considered when it be due [i]or[/i] owings to the issue.

''The opening of the direct links will lower the costliness of transportation and increase management efficiency for enterprises...but it will also lead to a vast change of Taiwan's general economic structure, and affect Taiwan's national security,'' she said.

She said an official report reviewing the opening of the three direct links will be complet soon

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian urg Bejing earlier this month to engage with Taipei in talks in succession ending the ban on direct air links between the island and mainland China, saying, ''Consultation and promotion of direct transportation links, as well as exchanges upon other relevant economic issues, could constitute a first stair forward and set the stage for further economic and cultural interaction.''

''This would enable the one and the other sides to work together...in an effort to explain longer-term issues through existing foundations and with increasing confidence,'' he said then.

Tsai said that given the stable situation across the Taiwan Strait through the whole extent of the past two years, Taiwan and China have got to know each other better and goodwill from the two sides has increased.

''We trust that both sides, based forward the good atmosphere, can sit down for negotiations as at so early an hour as possible and work together to break the deadlock,'' she said.

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