The Taiwanese government has expressed its dismay following China's "unilateral" alteration of a flight trajectory near the sensitive median line within the Taiwan Strait, suggesting that the action seems to be a deliberate effort to disrupt the prevailing status quo, potentially for military purposes.
According to a brief announcement issued late Tuesday by China's civil aviation administration, a decision was made to rescind an "offset measure" for the southbound operation of the M503 flight route, positioned just to the west of the median line in the strait, effective from Thursday onwards.
For years, the median line has unofficially delineated a boundary between Taiwan, claimed by China, and the Chinese mainland. However, China has repeatedly emphasized its refusal to acknowledge the line's legitimacy, evident in the regular passage of Chinese military aircraft over it, signaling Beijing's intent to coerce Taipei into endorsing its sovereignty assertions.
Additionally, China disclosed plans to introduce flight paths from west to east, towards Taiwan, along two routes originating from the Chinese cities of Xiamen and Fuzhou, situated in proximity to the Taiwanese-administered Kinmen and Matsu island groups, both of which maintain regular air connections with Taiwan.
Taiwan's civil aviation administration and the Mainland Affairs Council, responsible for formulating policies concerning China, condemned the move as "unilateral" and lodged strong objections against it.
The Mainland Affairs Council criticized China for disregarding aviation safety protocols, displaying disrespect towards Taiwan, and seemingly politicizing or militarizing civil aviation operations to potentially alter the strait's status quo.
Should China persist with its current course of action, warned the Mainland Affairs Council, it must be prepared to bear the repercussions that could significantly impact cross-strait relations.
Military analyst Chieh Chung, affiliated with Taiwan's National Policy Foundation, underscored that the adjusted route would narrow the distance from the median line to approximately 7 kilometers (4.3 miles), thereby reducing Taiwan's airspace pre-warning and reaction time, suggesting a concerted effort by China to invalidate and negate the median line's significance.
In response, China's Taiwan Affairs Office characterized the alterations as routine measures aimed at easing airspace congestion and enhancing cross-strait flight operations, ostensibly benefitting residents on both sides of the strait.
The M503 route primarily serves Chinese airlines and international carriers operating flights to and from destinations such as Shanghai in Southeast Asia.
Taiwan had previously voiced objections to the M503 route in 2018, alleging that China had unilaterally initiated its northbound segment without prior consultation with Taipei, contrary to an agreement reached in 2015 to engage in discussions regarding such flight paths.
