US Calls for Dialogue as China-Taiwan Flight Route Tensions Rise

Following China's announcement of a new civilian air route near the unofficial median line of the Taiwan Strait, which drew strong objections from Taipei, the United States has called on China and Taiwan to settle their flight route disagreements through discussion.

The US State Department has urged China and Taiwan to engage in dialogue to resolve their disputes over flight routes across the Taiwan Strait. This call came after Beijing's unilateral decision to launch the W121 flight route. A US State Department spokesperson emphasized the expectation that cross-Taiwan Strait differences would be resolved peacefully, without coercion, and in a manner acceptable to both sides.

The spokesperson reiterated the consistent US position on cross-strait disputes, stating that issues related to civil aviation and safety in the Taiwan Strait should be decided through dialogue between both sides.

This development occurs just before Han Kuang, Taiwan's largest military exercise, which simulates war with China, is set to begin. China announced the opening of the W121 route, connecting Dongshan in Zhejiang province to the north-south M503 flight route.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council has stated that Beijing's action undermines prior agreements and public opinion in Taiwan, while also significantly destabilizing air safety in the Taiwan Strait and the surrounding Asia-Pacific region.

According to International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regulations, any route adjustments must involve coordination with all affected airspace authorities, a step that Taiwan claims was not taken. The W121 link extends the controversial M503 route, originally established in 2015, to a point dangerously close to Taiwan's airspace. The M503 route passes through overlapping air defense identification zones claimed by both Taiwan and China.