The association has been providing flight subsidies for years, and it has long been understood that Chinese authorities influence Taiwan’s elections through such associations, Taiwan Democracy Watch chairman Sung Cheng-en (宋承恩) said on Saturday. Members of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) often attend meetings hosted by these associations prior to elections, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said. The addition of cross-strait flights for the elections would need approval from Chinese aviation authorities, with the TAO acting as an intermediary, it said. The China-based Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland in September requested discounted flights, and Chinese airlines responded immediately, the source said. At the time, Shenzhen Airlines suggested that return flights be priced at a 50 percent discount of 1,500 yuan for Taiwanese businesspeople flying home for the elections, the source said.

Source: Taipei Times December 29, 2019 15:56 UTC