Taipei protests against Chinese government’s ‘unilateral’ change in flight path that approaches the delicate middle line

Taipei, Taiwan
CNN
—

Taiwan has protested China’s “unilateral” adjustment of civil aviation flight routes, resulting in commercial aircraft flying close to the sensitive Taiwan Strait median line and increasing pressure on Taipei on air safety and air defense. may increase.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China announced in a statement on Tuesday that it would suspend “diversion measures” for all southbound flights operating on the M503 flight route, located just west of the median line. The median line is an unofficial demarcation point not recognized by the Chinese government, but until recently it was widely respected within the Shanghai Flight Information Region.

This means all southbound flights no longer have to deviate six nautical miles west of their designated route, as agreed by Beijing and Taipei in 2015, but can fly their original routes and bring aircraft closer to the median line. It means that you can. Taipei flight information region.

The statement also said China will begin operating flight M503 and two supplementary routes connecting Fuzhou and Xiamen in Fujian province, while Taipei will now operate flights to Matsu and Matsu, two remote islands controlled by Taipei. It is said that the safety of commercial aircraft flying to and from Kinmen Island may be affected. Close to the coast of China.

In response, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration said it “deeply regrets and firmly protests” China’s decision, and the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), Taiwan’s China policy-making body, called the attempt “an aviation safety issue.” “This is a blatant disregard for Taiwan and an expression of contempt for Taiwan.” ”

China’s move “deliberately masks malign political and possibly military motives against Taiwan in the name of civil aviation that could change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait,” MAC said. Stated.

China’s ruling Communist Party has spent decades trying to isolate the self-governing democracy diplomatically, claiming it as its own territory even though it has never ruled.

In 2015, China unilaterally declared the M503 route operational, sparking protests from Taipei. As a result of negotiations with Taipei, the Chinese government agreed at the time to move the route six nautical miles west of its original route.

The median line separating China and Taiwan is a tacit understanding between the two sides that is not bound by any legal agreement. The Chinese government has never formally acknowledged the existence of such a border, and has sent military aircraft across it almost daily in recent years to increase military pressure on the autonomous island.