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The mainland-based Association for
Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) President Chen Yunlin (R,
Front) and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman
Chiang Pin-kung (L, Front) sign agreements at a signing ceremony in
Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, on April 26, 2009. The Chinese
mainland and Taiwan signed here on Sunday afternoon agreements on
launching regular flights across the Taiwan Straits, enhancing financial
cooperation, and jointly cracking down on crimes and offering mutual
judicial assistance.(Xinhua/Sun Can)
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NANJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Top negotiators from
the Chinese mainland and Taiwan on Sunday signed an agreement on opening regular
direct flights across the Taiwan Strait and expanding air routes and terminals.
Chen Yunlin, president of the mainland's Association
for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), and Chiang Pin-kung, chairman
of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), agreed to start a direct southern
air route linking Guangzhou and Taipei, and open another northern route in
addition to the same one between Shanghai and Taipei.
They also agreed to add six mainland cities as
regular direct passenger flight terminals, making the total to 27. The newly
added cities are Hefei, Harbin, Nanchang, Guiyang, Ningbo and Jinan.
Two Taiwan's passenger terminals, Taipei Taoyuan
airport and Kaohsiung airport, are entitled to operate regular passenger
flights. And six other airports in Taiwan can operate chartered passenger
flights.
The weekly number of cross-Strait passenger return
flights, both regular and chartered, will increase from the existing 108 to 270.
There would be 28 cargo return flights across the
Taiwan Strait each week, including regular flights and chartered ones, according
to the agreement.
The two sides also agreed that airline companies
should report their regular flight prices to air transport supervisory bodies,
the agreement stated.
Air transport supervisors of both sides would set up
a liaison mechanism to exchange information, in a timely manner, on "relevant
issues" about cross-Strait air transport, the agreement said.
This is another huge step forward in cross-Strait
relations. Since last June, the two bodies have signed six agreement on weekend
charter flights, tourism, direct shipping, air transport, postal services and
food safety.
Mainland, Taiwan plan deeper co-op
amid crisis
NANJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Top negotiators from
the mainland and Taiwan said here Sunday that they will work out an economic
cooperation mechanism to cope with the global financial crisis which is exerting
an enormous negative impact on economies of the both sides.
The two sides should continue to map out an
interactive cooperation system on economic, cultural and social development and
put them into practice one by one, said Chiang Pin-kung, chairman of Taiwan's
Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), in talks with his mainland counterpart Chen
Yunlin in Nanjing, Jiangsu, on Sunday morning. Full story
Mainland, Taiwan negotiators
underscore economic exchanges, co-op
NANJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Negotiators from the Chinese
mainland and Taiwan on Saturday stressed the significance of enhanced
cross-Straits economic exchanges and cooperation amid the international
financial turmoil.
Zheng Lizhong, deputy chief of the mainland-based
Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), said the
international financial turmoil has brought new challenges to economic
development across the Taiwan Straits. Full story
SEF vice chairman expresses
condolences to mainland tourists killed in Taipei accident
NANJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's Straits
Exchange Foundation (SEF) Vice Chairman and Secretary-General Kao Koong-lian on
Saturday expressed his condolences to the two tourists from the Chinese mainland
who were killed in a crane crash accident in Taipei.
He said he was sorry that the accident in
Taipei led to casualties of mainland tourists. Full story
Taiwan chief negotiator arrives in
Nanjing for cross-straits talks
NANJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's chief negotiator on cross-straits
relations Chiang Pin-kung arrived here Saturday morning for a new round of
talks.
Chiang, chairman of the island's Straits Exchange
Foundation (SEF), is scheduled to hold talks with the mainland's Association for
Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) President Chen Yunlin on
Sunday. Full story
Backgrounder: Key talks between ARATS, SEF
