"The crux (to the current stagnation in the programme) is that the Taiwan authorities have failed to seriously consider arranging safe, convenient and comfortable return trips to the island for Taiwan businessmen as well as their immediate interests," said Li Weiyi, spokesman with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

"If they can come up with a positive attitude and moves (on the matter), the indirect charter flight plan will soon be realized."

He was referring to Taipei's refusal to allow private talks across the Taiwan Straits about technical issues involved in the charter flight plan between January 26 and February 10.

The spokesman added that Taipei has been playing word games on the plan without taking practical steps in an attempt to politicize the economic issue.

In line with the programme approved by Taipei on December 4, Taiwanese airlines will be allowed to operate indirect charter flights between Shanghai and Taipei via Hong Kong or Macao for the first time during the Chinese lunar New Year period, which falls around February 1.

Up to 400,000 Taiwan businessmen and their families estimated to be living and working in Shanghai are expected to benefit from the proposed scheme.

But implementation of the proposal has become bogged down because the Taiwan authorities have refused to authorize or entrust local industrial associations to enter talks with mainland counterparts to work out detailed arrangements for the plan.

"Technical problems should be solved first through across-Straits consultations so the indirect charter flight can be run successfully and smoothly," Li stressed.

"But Taiwanese airline associations have been banned by the Taiwan authorities from conducting such talks."

Li suggested yesterday that Beijing might take further flexible and pragmatic moves to create looser conditions for arranging talks on technical problems.

"If the Taiwan airline associations really have difficulty (in entering talks with their mainland counterparts), we are willing to consider other suggestions from them," the spokesman said. He then refused to elaborate.

(China Daily December 26, 2002)