Taiwan Monitors Chinese Naval Vessels, Condemns Flight Corridor

On Tuesday, July 8th, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense reported the detection of four Chinese naval vessels operating near its territorial waters. This observation was made as of 6 am local time. Notably, there were no Chinese aircraft detected in the area during this period.

The Ministry had previously reported the presence of six Chinese naval vessels around Taiwan on Monday. Similar to Tuesday's report, no flight path illustrations were provided due to the absence of Chinese military aircraft activity within the specified timeframe.

In related developments, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has issued a strong call for immediate talks with China. This request stems from China's unilateral implementation of the W121 flight corridor, an extension of the disputed M503 route. The MAC views this action as a violation of previous agreements and a threat to air safety in the Taiwan Strait and the broader Asia-Pacific region.

The MAC emphasized that international aviation regulations require coordination with all affected airspace authorities before route adjustments. Taiwan asserts that such coordination did not occur. China's Taiwan Affairs Office defended the W121 route, claiming it would benefit people on both sides of the strait. However, the MAC countered that the route does not serve any cross-strait destinations. Taiwan's Civil Aviation Administration also expressed concerns, vowing to monitor the situation closely and take necessary measures to ensure flight safety.