Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/10/14
By: Stanley Cheung, Yin Chun-chieh and Lilian Wu

Guangzhou, Oct. 14 (CNA) Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC)

Minister Hsia Li-yan (夏立言) said Wednesday that he and his Chinese counterpart Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) failed to reach an agreement on allowing Chinese nationals to transit through Taiwanese airports on overseas trips.

However, Taiwan will continue to communicate with China in the hope that the proposal can be implemented by the end of the year, Hsia said at a news conference after his second meeting with Zhang, head of Taiwan Affairs Office under China’s State Council.

China said it is willing to consider the issue in a pragmatic way, according to Hsia.

He said that regarding China’s proposal, there is some room to optimize the flight routes between the two sides, making them shorter and more efficient, but the procedures will take a longer time.     [FULL  STORY]