Distance Between Taipei and Shanghai

A Commentary

Distance Between Taipei and Shanghai

Source: United Daily News (Black & White Column)
June 15, 2010

Direct flights between Taipei Songshan Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao Airport began yesterday, with Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin leading a large delegation to the Shanghai Expo 2010 for the “Taipei Culture Week.” All the passengers smiled broadly and chatted about how the direct flights had made the day-trip lifestyle possible between the two cities. Likewise, many passengers talked at ease in front of media cameramen, saying that now they could take a flight to Shanghai in the morning, may dine with customers to discuss business during the day, and return home in the evening. They expressed cheer that they could finally “commute” to work across the Taiwan Strait.

However, some people have a different take on the new direct flights, asking sarcastically on the Internet how many people needed to commute between Taipei and Shanghai when most Taiwanese people still only travel around the island by bus? Such petty criticisms come only from people who are determined to see the cup as half empty. What’s wrong with having direct flights between the two metropolises? People can take a flight from Taipei to Shanghai as easily as taking the high-speed rail from Taipei to Kaohsiung. That’s called progress.

Only when people shed their biases and place both feet on the ground can they see what is in the best interests of both Taipei and Taiwan. Even local government heads who are pro-independence DPP members have recommended traveling to Shanghai for the Expo. Likewise, it should not be Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin’s personal mission to promote in the Mainland the Taipei Int’l Flora Expo which will be held later this year. To be honest, the time saved as a result of Songshan-Hongqiao direct flights is good news for all Taiwanese people, as can be seen from the boost in Taiwan’s stock markets.

Do you remember the witticism told during the years when the cross-Strait relations were frozen? “The shortest route between Taipei and Beijing is through the US.” After strenuous efforts, we have taken a big step forward, and Taipei and Shanghai are finally connected at the hip.
 

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