BEIJING, Jan. 4 -- Beijing's latest push for direct charter flights across the Taiwan Straits has raised high hopes for immediate talks with Taipei in time for the upcoming travel season.

    Pu Zhaozhou, director of the Office of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs under the General Administration of the Civil Aviation of China, yesterday said the mainland is open to discussions about the much-anticipated programme for Spring Festival.

    He urged Taipei to take concrete measures to create conditions for the direct charter flights to take off so as to benefit compatriots on both sides of the Straits, especially Taiwanese business people on the mainland.

    In response, Taiwan's "mainland affairs council" promptly agreed to authorize a private group to discuss the details with related mainland bodies on the issue.

    The positive developments are believed to be favourable to the direct and two-way charter flights during the 2005 Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on February 9.

    During Spring Festival in 2003, six Taiwanese airlines operated 16 charter flights to and from the mainland for the first time since 1949.

    The landmark programme, however, required all charter planes to transit through a third place such as Hong Kong and Macao and completely excluded mainland airlines.

    It was finally grounded in the 2004 Spring Festival because Taipei again refused the participation of mainland airlines and insisted on a stopover for all charter flights.

    Pu yesterday stressed flight arrangements for this year should be direct to and from the island and be operated by airlines from both sides.

    "Non-government industrial associations and airlines across the Straits can engage in direct talks to reach a consensus and make appropriate arrangements," he said.

    The senior official also proposed that mainland destinations for the charter flight plan may expand to Beijing, Guangzhou and Xiamen. In 2003, charter flights were run between only Taipei, Kaohsiung and Shanghai.

    With only five weeks to go before Spring Festival, Pu highlighted the importance of working out technical and business issues concerning charter flights between airlines across the Straits.

    "We hope the Taiwan authorities will consider the actual needs and well-being of Taiwanese business people on the mainland, stop putting up hurdles, honour their words and take concrete measures to facilitate charter flights," he said.

    Taipei has banned direct air and shipping links with the mainland for more than five decades, causing great inconvenience to travels of mainland-based Taiwanese business people.

    About 300,000 Taiwanese businessmen and their families are estimated to return to the island for family reunions every Spring Festival.

    Late on Sunday, a spokesman from the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council also vowed to "work hard to promote the launching of charter flights across the Straits."

    (Source: China Daily)