The Taiwanese government criticized its Chinese counterpart after the latter "unilaterally" changed a flight path close to the sensitive media line in the Taiwan Strait.
Taipei said that the development appeared to be a deliberate attempt to change the status quo for possible military means. On Tuesday, China's civil aviation administration said that from Thursday onward, it was canceling an "offset measure" for the southbound operation of the M503 flight route, which is located just west of the strait's median line.
Unilateral Change to Taiwan Strait Flight Path
Taiwan is criticizing China over the latter's decision to "unilaterally" change a Taiwan Strait flight path, arguing that the median line does not exist.
For years, the median line had served as an unofficial barrier between Chinese-claimed Taiwan and China. However, Beijing said that it does not recognize its existence, and Chinese warplanes have begun regularly flying over it as officials seek to pressure Taipei to accept its sovereignty claims.
Furthermore, China said that it was opening routes from west to east on two flight paths from the Chinese cities of Xiamen and Fuzhou. These areas are close to the Taiwanese-controlled island groups of Kinmen and Matsu. The latter have regular flights going to Taiwan, as per Reuters.
Taiwan's civil aviation administration and China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council both labeled the moves as "unilateral," adding that they strongly protested against it. The latter said that China is ignoring flight safety, disrespecting Taiwan, and trying to "package" civil aviation for political or military considerations.
The Mainland Affairs Council said that if the mainland obstinate clings to its court, it must bear any serious consequences that affect cross-strait relations. A military researcher at Taiwan's National Policy Foundation, Chieh Chung, said that the new route would be found roughly 7 kilometers from the median line.
He said that the decision would completely eliminate and deny the existence of the median line. Furthermore, Taiwan's defense ministry said that Beijing's actions, which it called "rude and unreasonable," can easily lead to an increase in tensions in the region.
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Escalating Tensions in the Region
On the other hand, China's Taiwan Affairs Office said that the changes to the flight path are "routine" and will help alleviate pressure on airspace. In a statement, it added that it is conducive to improving cross-strait flight operations and further facilitating cross-strait people-to-people exchanges, according to Rappler.
The Taiwanese defense ministry said that any unknown aircraft entering their air defense identification zone (ADIZ) will be dealt with in accordance with operating procedures and emergency handling regulations.
The ADIZ is a broad area that Taiwan monitors and patrols to give its forces more time to respond to external threats. Also, Chinese military aircraft have so far not entered territorial Taiwanese airspace.
A spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office, Chen Binhua, spoke during a news conference in Beijing on Wednesday. He said that the "so-called median line does not exist." He added that the M503 route is for civil aviation and is in the Shanghai flight information region.
This route is mostly used by Chinese airlines and by foreign airlines that go to and from cities such as Shanghai to Southeast Asia. Taiwan has previously complained about the M503 when it said that China opened the northbound part without informing Taipei, said Yahoo News.
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