Taiwan says new Chinese air routes threaten islands’ flight safety
TAIPEI/BEIJING—Taiwan said on Friday China’s decision to open new air routes that run close to two Taiwanese-controlled islands was a flight safety risk taken without consultation, and said it would demand any aircraft using them be asked to turn around.
Taiwan’s government expressed anger in January after China “unilaterally” changed a flight path called M503 close to the sensitive median line in the Taiwan Strait. China claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory.
The new Chinese routes to China’s Xiamen and Fuzhou cities, called W123 and W122 respectively, connect to the M503 flight route, and run alongside existing routes to the islands of Kinmen and Matsu, which have regular flights to and from Taiwan.
China had said in January it was opening routes from west to east—in other words, in the direction of Taiwan—on the two flight paths from Xiamen and Fuzhou, but had not until now announced when they would go into operation.
China’s civil aviation regulator said in its statement on Friday those routes were now in operation, adding that from May 16 it would “further optimize” airspace around Fuzhou airport.
It did not elaborate, but that is four days before Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te is inaugurated, a man Beijing believes is a dangerous separatist. Lai has repeatedly offered talks with China but has been rebuffed.
A senior Taiwan official familiar with the island’s security planning said the flight route announcement was part of a pattern of preinauguration pressure from China.
“They want us to cave in, make compromises and change our behavior,” the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China’s regulator said that the changes to the flight paths will help meet the “development needs” of flights along the Chinese coast, ensure flight safety, enhance the ability to respond to thunderstorms and improve normal flight operations. —REUTERS
