China opens new air routes ‘very close’ to Taiwan-controlled islands; Taipei reacts

China's aviation regulator - the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) - said on Friday (Apr 19) that it had openednew air routes to the Chinese cities of Xiamen and Fuzhou with flight pathssituated veryclose to the Taiwan-controlledislandsof Kinmen and Matsu. Citing a statement from the CAAC, the news agency Reuters reported that these routes were now operational.

The statement added that from May 16, the aviation regulator saidthatitwould "further optimise" airspace around Fuzhouairport,but did not elaborate on how it would do so.

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The statementfurther said that the changes to the flight paths would help meet the development needs of flights along the Chinese coast, ensuring flight safety, enhancing the ability to respond to thunderstorms, and improving normal flight operations.

Taiwan condemns move

Taiwan condemned Beijing's announcement by saying the decision to open new air routesthat run close to two Taiwanese-controlled islands was a flight safety risk taken without consultation.

"They want us to cave in, make compromises and change our behaviour," a senior official from Taipei told Reuters.

Previous opposition by Taiwan

In January, Taiwan expressed anger after China unilaterallychanged a flight path called M503 close to the sensitive median line in the Taiwan Strait. The median line has for years servedas an unofficialdemarcationbetween Chinese-claimed Taiwan and China andwas not crossedby combat aircraft from either side.

However, Beijing has said it does not recognise the line's existenceandChinese warplanes regularly fly over it.

In 2018, Taiwan complainedabout the M503 route, saying Chinaopened the northbound part of it without first informing Taipei in contravention of a 2015 deal to first discuss such flight paths.

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Meanwhile,China had said in January that it was opening routesfrom west to east on the two flight pathsfrom Xiamen and Fuzhou, but had not until now announced when they would go into operation.

The islands of Kinmen and Matsu both haveregular flights to Taiwan, and Chinese aircraft are not permittedby Taiwan to fly in the airspace Taipei controls around these islands.

(With inputs from agencies)