Taiwan says China opening flight path raises regional unease
Taiwan's top China policy body criticised Beijing after its civil aviation authority opened another west-to-east connecting route above the sensitive waterway.
China has shown "complete disregard for the consensus of both sides and Taiwan's public opinion, using unilateral actions to change the status quo and increase cross-strait and regional unease", Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said.
Beijing adjusted the M503 north-to-south route through the Taiwan Strait in January 2024 and opened two west-to-east connecting flight paths months later.
The newly-activated west-to-east route is intended to "alleviate the pressure caused by the increase of flights", China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua said Sunday (July 6, 2025), quoted by state news agency Xinhua.
But Taipei's Mainland Affairs Council denied there had been an increase in air traffic.
It said China had "unilaterally violated the consensus" three times by launching the routes without consulting Taiwan and urged Beijing to engage in negotiations.
"The current cross-strait and Asia-Pacific situation is complex, the Mainland's unilateral actions will escalate regional tensions, which no party wishes to see," the Council said.
Beijing insists democratic Taiwan is part of its territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the self-ruled island under its control.
Beijing regularly deploys fighter jets, warships and coast guard ships near Taiwan, and has held several major military exercises around the island in recent years.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
10 hours ago
- News18
US, Allies Launch Major Naval Drills Near China as Beijing, Moscow Wrap Up Joint Sea War Exercises
The US, along with its NATO and Indo-Pacific allies, are holding a multilateral exercise at sea near China. The drills involving six countries, including the US, the UK and Japan, will see warships capable of launching F-35 stealth fighter jets in action in the Western Pacific. The multilateral drills, which commenced on August 4, involves the US warships USS George Washington & USS America, the UK carrier HMS Prince of Wales and the Japanese carrier JS Kaga. In addition to American, British and Japanese warships, the Australian, Norwegian and Spanish navies are participating. The allied F-35 carrier drill comes after China flexed its rapidly growing naval power in the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, China and Russia have wrapped up their five-day Joint Sea-2025 naval drills near Vladivostok, Russia on August 4. The two allies have now proceeded to conduct a maritime joint patrol in the Western Pacific on August 5, China's state TV reported. n18oc_world n18oc_crux0:00 INTRODUCTION1:18 NAVAL DRILLS TO COUNTER CHINA2:50 CHINA SLAMS US, ALLIES FOR 'UNDERMINING PEACE'4:14 CHINA, RUSSIA CONCLUDE NAVAL DRILLS
Mint
11 hours ago
- Mint
PM Narendra Modi to visit China on August 31 for SCO summit - first visit since 2019
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to travel to China and Japan beginning around 29 August, people familiar with the matter told news agency PTI on 6 August. This will be PM Modi's first visit to China after the two neighbouring countries' ties came under severe strain following the 2020 military standoff in Galwan along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. The visit will come in the wake of efforts by India and China to improve bilateral ties. A possible meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping is especially anticipated during the summit. The two leaders met last during the BRICS summit in Russia in October 2024. There is no official word on the visit yet. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said last month during a joint press meeting with SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev that the SCO Tianjin Summit will be held from 31 August to 1 September, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders of the SCO member states are expected to attend the summit. On 15 July, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Chinese President Xi Jinping as part of a delegation of foreign ministers attending the meeting of the SCO. Jaishankar's visit to China is expected to lay the groundwork for PM Modi's anticipated visit to Beijing for the SCO Leaders' Summit. "Apprised President Xi of the recent development of our bilateral ties,' Jaishankar said in a post on X, accompanied by a picture of him shaking hands with Xi. The 2020 Galwan Valley standoff between India and China was the worst border clash in over 40 years, resulting in the death of soldiers on both sides. The incident sharply escalated tensions and brought bilateral ties to a historic low. The decision to revive the SR dialogue and other dormant channels was reportedly taken during a brief exchange between PM Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a summit in Kazan, Russia, in October last year. There have been a few glimmers of positive movement, most notably the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after nearly five years. In the first leg of his trip, Narendra Modi is expected to visit Japan to hold annual summit talks with his Japanese counterpart. PM Modi's visit to Japan would be his first since May 2023, when he attended the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, western Japan. Key Takeaways Modi's visit to China aims to strengthen bilateral ties post-2020 tensions. The SCO summit serves as a platform for discussing regional security and cooperation. India's strategic diplomacy includes balancing relations with both China and Russia amidst global pressures.
Economic Times
a day ago
- Economic Times
India & Philippines ink strategic partnership with focus on defence
Synopsis India and the Philippines have elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership, as announced during President Ferdinand Marcos' visit. Prime Minister Modi emphasized their shared commitment to a rules-based Indo-Pacific region. The Philippines lauded India's defense capabilities, particularly the BrahMos missile system. Both nations aim to enhance maritime cooperation and trade, including a potential preferential trade agreement. AP New Delhi: India and the Philippines on Tuesday agreed to elevate bilateral cooperation to the level of strategic partnership with the visiting President hailing BrahMos missile system that Manila purchased from New Delhi. As the two countries elevated their ties during the visit of Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "India and the Philippines are friends by choice and partners by destiny." The PM said the Philippines is an important partner in India's Act East Policy and 'MAHASAGAR' (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision. "We are committed to peace, security, prosperity and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region. We support freedom of navigation in accordance with international laws," Modi said in a subtle reference to China's role and its territorial claims vis-a-vis Philippines in the South China Sea region. "It is a matter of pleasure that today we have decided to elevate our relations to the status of a strategic partnership. A comprehensive action plan has also been formulated to translate the potential of this partnership into results," he said. Modi said the enhanced defence relations between the two countries are a symbol of deep mutual trust. "Today, when the President is in India, three ships of the Indian Navy are participating in a naval exercise in the Philippines for the first time," he Philippines President hailed India's expanding indigenous defence capabilities, particularly the BrahMos missile project. Addressing a joint press conference, Marcos said the two nations had agreed to strengthen naval and coast guard interoperability through increased port calls, cooperative activities, and maritime capacity building. "We agreed to continue elevating our collaboration in defence and security. We expressed satisfaction over the rapid pace of the Philippines' ongoing defence modernisation and India's expanding indigenous defence capabilities - exemplified by our BrahMos project," he said. Ahead of the visit, General Romeo Brawner, Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, confirmed that Manila is eyeing more defence purchases from India. Philippines is the first foreign buyer of the BrahMos missile system jointly developed by India and Russia. Marcos expressed full solidarity with India over the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and lauded India's progress under PM Modi's leadership. Modi said, "As maritime nations, maritime cooperation between the two countries is both natural and essential. We have been working together in humanitarian aid, disaster relief, search and rescue." He said under the development partnership, India will increase the number of Quick Impact Projects in the Philippines and will also cooperate in the development of sovereign data cloud infrastructure. The Prime Minister said the trade between the two countries was increasing in a sustained manner and crossed $3 billion. "To further strengthen trade ties, it is our priority to review the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement at the earliest. We have also decided to work towards a bilateral Preferential Trade Agreement," he said. Modi said Indian companies are active in the sectors of information and digital technology, health, automobiles, infrastructure, and minerals. In the sector of science and technology, joint research is going on in areas from virology to artificial intelligence and additive manufacturing, he added Later, addressing the media, Secretary (East) MEA Periasamy Kumaran said Modi and Marcos adopted the plan of action for the period of 2025 to 2029 to guide cooperation. Kumaran highlighted that 14 MOUs across various sectors were concluded and exchanged between India and the Philippines. He added that these agreements include mutual legal assistance treaty in criminal matters, a treaty on transfer of sentenced persons, terms of reference on negotiations for the India Philippines preferential trade agreement, terms of reference for service, staff talks, army, air force and navy, enhanced cooperation between coast guards.
