China's new Air Corridor sparks cross-strait aviation concerns

Taipei [Taiwan], July 6 (ANI): Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has strongly urged China to engage in immediate talks over its unilateral launch of the W121 flight corridor, an extension of the contested M503 route, according to Focus Taiwan.

MAC officials say Beijing's latest move not only undermines prior cross-strait consensus and public opinion in Taiwan but significantly destabilises air safety in the Taiwan Strait and the surrounding Asia-Pacific region.

Under International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regulations, any route adjustments must involve coordination with all affected airspace authorities, coordination that Taiwan says did not occur.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson, Chen Binhua, defended the W121 route, claiming its objective was to "benefit people on both sides of the strait" by reducing flight congestion, improving safety, and protecting travellers. However, the MAC countered that Beijing's international flight volumes have yet to recover to pre-COVID levels, and W121 does not serve any cross-strait destinations, Focus Taiwan reported.

Taiwan's Civil Aviation Administration echoed the MAC's concerns in a statement, calling China's unilateral move "regrettable" and committing to close monitoring to secure flight safety. Officials warned that any aircraft encroaching on Taiwan's Flight Information Region would be intercepted or rerouted, in line with ICAO guidelines and recent national security protocols.

The W121 link extends the controversial M503 route, originally introduced in 2015 and previously rerouted following bilateral talks, to a point dangerously close to Taiwan's airspace. Despite a prior westward shift in 2015 to appease Taiwanese concerns, China reversed course in February 2024, pushing the corridor eastward toward the median line. The addition of W121, following W122 and W123, echoes China's pattern of asserting control over international airspace without formal negotiation, raising alarm about Beijing's strategic intentions, Focus Taiwan reported.

Citing both civil and military implications, Taiwan's MAC described China's manoeuvre as a politically motivated provocation designed to alter the strait's status quo. It emphasized that such unilateral measures not only threaten aviation safety but inflate regional tensions.

The MAC, in conclusion, appealed once more to Beijing: halt unilateral actions, participate in talks through established cross-strait aviation channels, and ensure all flight routes comply with international safety and diplomatic norms. Only genuine dialogue can prevent this escalation from precipitating insecurity in the region, the MAC said. (ANI)