Taipei is heralding new charters to South Korea and Shanghai as a breakthrough, but in fact they represent a face-saving way for the state to retreat from previous positions.
Taiwan halted flights between South Korea and Taiwan by the two countries' carriers in 1992 after Seoul switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing. Seoul's stance has not changed, but Taiwan, nonetheless, has decided to allow charters on a trial basis ending in late February. Its pretext is that Taiwanese want to ski in South Korea and that Korean tourists want an alternative to Bali. Now Taipei expresses hope that after South Korea's new president Roh Moo-hyun takes office in February, both sides can agree to resume scheduled flights.
The Shanghai charters show a similar pattern. China has long promoted direct flights, but Taiwan has refused, barring its airlines from serving China since civil war ended in 1949. Now six Taiwanese airlines, including EVA Air and China Airlines, will fly to Shanghai to carry expatriates home for the lunar new year. The carriers will lose money on the charters because they can only carry passengers in one direction, but the event is too historic to miss.
Taipei's change in position stems from a recent, albeit slight, thaw in cross-strait relations. A Taiwanese legislator and former foreign affairs minister suggested the charters. Taipei agreed and Beijing approved, even though Chinese carriers gain nothing in return.
That same legislator is now proposing cross-strait charters for other holidays, and next time with reciprocity for the Chinese. That would mark yet another small but highly symbolic retreat in Taiwan's stance.
Source: Airline Business
