China Reduces Airspace Closure Duration North of Taiwan

Initial reports on the closure duration had raised concerns in the region, as tensions are high between China and Taiwan. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said he was not aware of the situation.

Taiwan’s Protest and Revision of No-Fly Zone Duration

Japan said on Wednesday that China had informed it of a no-fly zone near Taiwan from April 16 to 18, in connection with aerospace activities. Taiwan’s transport ministry then said that China had revised the zone’s duration to 27 minutes on Sunday, following a protest.

South Korea’s transport ministry said the closure was related to the fall of an object from a satellite launcher.

Read also: Chinese military planes and navy ships remain near Taiwan following military drills

Impact on Flights in the Region

When China imposed such restrictions during military exercises last August, there were significant disruptions to flights in the region, with some planes having to carry extra fuel, according to OPSGROUP, an aviation industry cooperative that advises on flight-related risks.

Japanese authorities said there were no major flight cancellations to or from Japan during those exercises.

Tensions Between China and Taiwan

Earlier on Wednesday, China said President Tsai Ing-wen was pushing Taiwan into “troubled waters” after her meeting with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

“Tsai Ing-wen has brought danger to Taiwan. Tsai Ing-wen has almost completely sided with the United States, pushing Taiwan into troubled waters,” said Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), on Wednesday.

Tsai, who returned to Taiwan a day before the exercises began, said the trip had been successful in garnering support against an aggressor threatening the island’s freedom.

“In the face of ongoing authoritarian expansionism, it is even more crucial for democracies to actively unite,” she added. “Canada is a very important democratic partner. We are ready to do our utmost to jointly preserve the values of freedom and democracy with Canada and many other like-minded international partners.”

Despite tensions with China, Tsai appeared relaxed while welcoming the 10 Canadian lawmakers, even making a joke.

Beijing continued military activities around Taiwan, despite announcing the end of the planned three-day exercises on Monday.

The ministry said earlier on Wednesday that, in the previous 24 hours, it had detected 35 Chinese military aircraft and eight navy ships around Taiwan.