China opens third extension to sensitive Taiwan Strait flight path
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.
China last year moved the M503 route closer to the median line, drawing an angry response from Taipei, which said Beijing was trying to "package" civil aviation for political or military considerations to potentially change the strait's status quo.
The opening of the W121 extension comes days before the annual Han Kuang military and civil defence drills that Taiwan holds to simulate a Chinese blockade and invasion of the democratic island.
The median line had for years served as an unofficial barrier between Chinese-claimed Taiwan and China, but China says it does not recognise its existence and Chinese warplanes now regularly fly over it as Beijing seeks to pressure Taipei to accept its sovereignty claims.
The Civil Aviation Authority of China said that "in order to further optimize the airspace environment and improve operational efficiency, from now on, civil aviation will use the W121 connection line of the M503 route."
Taiwan's China policy-making Mainland Affairs Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is the third extension after W122 and W123, which are to the south of W121, opened last year. All three go west to east, from mainland China in the direction of Taiwan.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore First BTO project in Sembawang North to be offered in July launch
Singapore TTSH to demolish century-old pavilion wards, keeping one as heritage marker
World 'Formed to give you back your freedom': Elon Musk says he has created a new US political party
Singapore Tank collides into traffic light during NDP preview show
Singapore His world crashed when he got F9 in O-level Tamil but PropNex co-founder Ismail Gafoor beat the odds
Asia HIV surge in the Philippines amid poor sex education, policy gaps
Tech Graduates are not screwed if they study engineering: James Dyson in response to Economist article
Business When a foreign wife failed to turn up for a $10m divorce
"This measure is aimed at "ensuring flight safety, reducing flight delays, and protecting the rights and interests of passengers," China's Taiwan Affairs Office said.
It added that the opening was "beneficial" to both sides of the strait.
Taiwan, which is facing ramped-up military pressure from China, which considers the separately governed island as its own, begins its Han Kuang exercises on July 9 and they are set to last for 10 days. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
15 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Is Donald Trump unstoppable?
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The US President is powering ahead with the One Big Beautiful Bill passed. Congress and the courts have had little effect against his blitz of executive orders. The secret of Mr Trump's success lies in understanding earlier than most other US politicians how technology changed the nature of politics. On June 16, 2015, Donald Trump descended the golden escalator at Trump Tower in New York to launch his presidential bid with the memorable pledge of 'we are going to make our country great again'. Soon after , he refined the slogan to 'Make America Great Again' (Maga). And always the businessman, he got the slogan registered on July 14, 2015, as a service mark with the US Patent and Trademark Office.
Straits Times
30 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Dow, S&P 500 fall as Trump unveils new tariffs
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Traders working on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, in New York City, on July 8. NEW YORK - Wall Street stocks dipped on July 8, falling for a second straight session as President Donald Trump added tariff threats on copper and pharmaceuticals to his broadening trade agenda. Mr Trump announced plans for a 50 per cent duty on copper imports and a potential 200 per cent levy on pharmaceuticals a day after the White House sent letters to Japan, South Korea and other countries about levies from Aug 1. The onslaught has reinstated trade top of mind on Wall Street after attention had focused on Capitol Hill and the Middle East in recent weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down 0.4 per cent following a rollercoaster session at 44,240.76. The broad-based S&P 500 slipped 0.1 per cent to 6,225.52, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index was flat at 20,418.46. In contrast to Mr Trump's spring tariff announcements which sent equities sharply lower, the market is 'somewhat shaking it off,' said Ms Victoria Fernandez, of Crossmark Global Investments, who noted Mr Trump's record of tempering tariffs that were initially severe. The market is in a 'wait and see mode,' Ms Fernandez said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10 Singapore Keep citizens at the centre of public service, Chan Chun Sing tells civil servants Singapore Man arrested for allegedly throwing bottle at SMRT bus, injuring passenger Asia As Trump plays tariffs hard ball, Asean has little choice but to play on Asia PM Anwar called out by his own lawmakers as Malaysia's judicial crisis heats up Singapore SIA flight from Brisbane to Singapore diverted to Perth due to technical issue Sport Speeding likely cause of Diogo Jota car crash: Police Business Great Eastern could resume trading after delisting vote fails to pass; OCBC's exit offer lapses JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America fell more than 3 per cent and Goldman Sachs dropped nearly 2 per cent following downgrades from HSBC Securities. A note from HSBC called valuations of the banks 'increasingly stretched.' While the banks' operating fundamentals 'appear healthy,' macro uncertainties and slower economic growth 'seem to be downplayed,' it said. Boeing finished flat after announcing it delivered 60 planes in June, the most since December 2023, capping its most successful first semester in terms of planes to customers since 2018. Hershey fell 3.2 per cent after naming Kirk Tanner to succeed Ms Michele Buck as CEO. Tanner moves to the chocolate giant from the Wendy's Company, which dipped 0.1 per cent. Buck had previously announced plans to retire. AFP
Straits Times
30 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Mexico outlines measures to expand state control of the skies
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: The Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport is pictured on the day of its inauguration, in Tulum, Mexico, December 1, 2023. REUTERS/Quetzalli Nicte-Ha/File Photo MEXICO CITY - Mexican officials on Tuesday outlined goals for even greater state and military control over the nation's aviation network, including increased subsidies and investments to boost long-neglected regional airports. President Claudia Sheinbaum has doubled down on the strategy of her predecessor and mentor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who handed over control of many public airports to the military and revived bankrupt airline Mexicana. David Sandoval, deputy director of military-run airport operator Grupo Mundo Maya, said both federal and state governments are rolling out incentives on services ranging from landing and parking fees to checked baggage. He cited the recently opened Tulum international airport as a "cherry on top" success. The airport is already drawing traffic from the nearby vacation hub Cancun, operated by ASUR, analysts have said. Military-run airports also face lower usage tariffs than their peers. The military has been tasked with boosting traffic at older, unprofitable regional airports. Eric Mario Barrera, technical corporate director of military-run Mexico City Airport Group, said they are battling to overhaul infrastructure while seeking airline interest. He noted airports like Guaymas in Sonora have been "a little bit of a headache" due to low traffic and neglected facilities. Lopez Obrador launched a massive expansion of Guaymas' port before leaving office, aiming to turn the town into an export hub. Raul Revuelta, CEO of airport operator GAP, said many regional airports fail to break even without subsidies, needing about a million passengers annually to profit. While officials insisted profit was a priority, they also cited a social mandate to serve locations private operators and airlines failed to reach. Sheinbaum last week, at a ceremony to receive Mexicana's first jet in an order of 20 from planemaker Embraer, said the airline was "by and for the people" and would "fly wherever you are." When relaunched in 2023, Mexicana was estimated to operate in the red for nearly a decade, government forecasts showed. The administration is also weighing more public-private partnerships, following signs of success from a joint venture with Mota Engil at airports in beach towns Tepic and Puerto Escondido, said Carlos Merino, head of state-run Airports and Auxiliary Services. REUTERS
