Taiwan says China opening flight path raises regional unease
Taiwan's top China policy body criticized 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, 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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
6 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan PM defends tough structural reforms, says country can't afford ‘business as usual'
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday strongly defended his government's structural reform agenda, particularly in tax administration, saying that difficult and often unpopular decisions were necessary to rebuild national institutions, as the country could no longer afford 'business as usual.' Speaking at an orientation session for participants of the Uraan Pakistan youth program, Sharif recalled the fragile economic conditions he inherited after assuming power following last year's general elections. He noted that Pakistan had narrowly avoided a sovereign default in mid-2023, when inflation surged to nearly 38 percent, before securing a critical bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The prime minister said his administration took on the 'onerous task' of stabilizing the economy under immense pressure, choosing to pursue long-delayed reforms rather than temporary fixes. 'Pakistan had to undertake these long-overdue, deep structural changes if we had to find our lost place in the comity of nations through hard and untiring efforts,' he said. Sharif pointed to a set of key reforms aligned with IMF recommendations, including the digitization of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). He noted the transition from paper-based tax systems to digital and AI-led processes was already bearing fruit. 'Faceless interactions — these terminologies were unknown in FBR,' he said, adding that one previously underperforming sector saw its tax contribution rise from Rs12 billion to over Rs50 billion within a year due to improved enforcement. The prime minister said his administration had prioritized accountability, removing senior FBR officials accused of corruption and resisting political pressure in doing so. 'It's a long and thorny journey,' he continued. 'We are facing bumps on the way and mountain-like impediments. But I can assure you, we will not shy away from discharging our responsibility.' Sharif maintained that merit would remain the cornerstone of his governance model. 'Delivery is the name of the game,' he said. 'Performance is the name of the game.'
Al Arabiya
9 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Iran says cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog ‘will take on a new form'
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that Iran's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency 'will take on a new form,' following a law suspending ties with the UN watchdog. 'Our cooperation with the agency has not stopped, but will take on a new form,' said Araghchi, adding that requests to monitor nuclear sites 'will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis... taking into account safety and security issues.'
Arab News
10 hours ago
- Arab News
Russia's Lavrov meets North Korea's Kim, praises ties as ‘invincible brotherhood'
SEOUL: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the coastal city of Wonsan on Saturday, where he described the two nations' relations as 'an invincible fighting brotherhood,' Russia's foreign ministry said. The ministry quoted Lavrov as saying that the visit represented the continuation of 'strategic dialogue' between the two sides inaugurated by Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea last a message passed on by Lavrov, Putin said that he hoped for more direct contacts in future, TASS news agency the ministry said, also thanked North Korea for the troops it had sent to between the two countries deepened during the conflict in Ukraine. Thousands of North Korean troops were deployed during the months-long campaign to oust Ukrainian forces from Russia's Kursk region, while Pyongyang has also supplied Russia with munitions. Lavrov also met with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son Hui, TASS arrived in Wonsan on Friday from Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur following the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting. Home to a newly opened seaside resort, Wonsan is also known for its missile and naval visit is the latest high-level meeting between the two countries as they upgrade their strategic cooperation to now include a mutual defense pact.'We exchanged views on the situation surrounding the Ukrainian crisis ... Our Korean friends confirmed their firm support for all the objectives of the special military operation, as well as for the actions of the Russian leadership and armed forces,' TASS quoted Lavrov as also quoted his deputy Andrei Rudenko as saying more high-level delegations would visit North Korea later this South Korean intelligence service has said North Korea may be preparing to deploy more troops in July or August, after sending more than 10,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russia in the war against Korea has agreed to dispatch 6,000 military engineers and builders for reconstruction in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched a mass cross-border incursion nearly a year news agencies said after North Korea, Lavrov was due to travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting, scheduled for Monday and said the new Wonsan coastal resort could boost Russian tourism to North Korea, citing the resumption of direct trains from Moscow to Pyongyang and a project to build a bridge across the Tumen River forming part of the boundary between North Korea, China and Russia.
