US EditionChina opens third extension to sensitive Taiwan Strait flight path
CHINA, JUL 6 – China says the new M503 extension eases air traffic congestion and improves safety while Taiwan condemns it as a unilateral act escalating regional tensions before military drills.
- On July 6, Taiwan condemned China’s unilateral activation of the W121 air route, which is linked to the disputed M503 pathway running near the Taiwan Strait.
- This follows China's earlier February 2024 move to shift the M503 route eastward closer to the median line, which Taiwan says violated prior agreements and ignored consultation protocols.
- Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council called the new route a politically motivated provocation that destabilizes the strait and increases cross-strait and regional tensions.
- Chen Binhua, speaking for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, asserted that the W121 flight path was designed to ease air traffic and enhance safety, ultimately serving the interests of individuals on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
- Taiwan urged Beijing to halt unilateral actions, engage in genuine dialogue through established channels, and ensure compliance with international airspace regulations to prevent escalation.
39 Articles
39 Articles
China Expands Taiwan Strait Flight Route Ahead of Taiwan’s Military Drill
China’s aviation regulator said on July 6 that it had extended a flight route near the sensitive median line in the Taiwan Strait, just days before Taiwan’s annual military exercises were set to begin. The Civil Aviation Authority of China stated that it had opened the west-to-east W121 connecting line of the M503 flight path to “further optimize airspace management and improve operational efficiency.” The Chinese regulator adjusted the W121 rou…
China opens third extension to sensitive Taiwan Strait flight path | The Asahi Shimbun Asia & Japan Watch
HONG KONG--China’s civil aviation authority said on Sunday it has opened a third extension of the M503 flight route, which has for years been the subject of complaints from Taipei due to its position just west of an unofficial dividing line in the Taiwan Strait.
Activation of M503’s connecting route W121 benefits passengers across Straits: Taiwan Affairs Office
In response to a question regarding the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC)'s announcement on the activation of the M503 air route’s connecting route W121 on July 6, Chen Binhua, spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Sunday that this measure aims to ease flight growth pressure in the relevant region, ensure flight safety, reduce flight delays, and safeguard passenger rights and interests – all of which…
The unilateral opening of the west-east connection over the strait coincides with the overflight of 135 Chinese military aircraft in the last three days, amid rising tensions
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