A B747-400 CREW; TAXIING FOR TKOF AT RCTP; WERE CLRED INTO POS WHILE STILL 1500 FT FROM THE RWY END; WITH AN ACFT ON A 10 MI FINAL.

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WE TAXIED FOR TKOF FROM TPE RWY 5. TAXI CLRNC FROM OUR PARKING LOCATION WAS TO USE TXWY NC TO RWY 5. AT A POS OF ABOUT 1500 FT FROM THE SW END OF TXWY NC; WE ADVISED TPE TWR OF OUR READINESS FOR TKOF. TWR THEN CLRED US 'INTO POS AND HOLD; RWY 5; JUMBO ACFT ON RWY 10 [PAUSE] 15 MI FINAL.' SUSPICIOUS OF TFC CONFLICT BTWN US AND THE LNDG TFC; WE TURNED ON OUR XPONDER (TO GET TCASII INFO ON THE INCOMING ACFT) AND REPEATED BACK THE CLRNC AND ADDITIONALLY RESPONDED THAT FOR CLARIFICATION THAT 'WE WILL BE READY AT THE END.' THE TWR CTLR THEN RESPONDED; ASKING US IF WE WERE READY FOR TKOF. WE ANSWERED BACK THAT WE WOULD BE WHEN WE GOT THERE. HE THEN RESPONDED WITH A 'HOLD SHORT' INSTRUCTION. WE COMPLIED. THE INCOMING TFC LANDED AND OUR TKOF WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE CONCERN AT ISSUE IS THE TPE TWR CTLRS STILL DO NOT SEEM FULLY AWARE OF THE LOCATION OF ACFT WITHIN THEIR CTL -- ON FINAL APCH AND ON THE GND. IT IS MY CREW'S UNANIMOUS AND ABSOLUTE JUDGEMENT THAT OUR ACFT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GIVEN CLRNC ONTO RWY 5 FROM THE POS WE WERE AT ON TXWY NC WITH THE KNOWN TFC ON FINAL APCH. IT WAS NOT NECESSARY AT THAT TIME. TWR CLRNC ONTO THE RWY SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN WHEN WE WERE IN CLOSER PROX TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE OF RWY 5.