Beijing Clarifies No-Fly Zone In North Taiwan

Illustration of joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States. (Source: ROKAF)

JAKARTA - China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) clarified the no-fly zone north of Taiwan on Sunday morning. "Reports about mainland China implementing a no-fly zone north of Taiwan are inaccurate," MFA spokesman Wang Wenbin said in a written statement in Beijing, quoted from Antara, Sunday, April 16. Previously, the Taiwan Ministry of Transportation and Communication (MOTC) admitted that it received a notification from Beijing regarding the implementation of the 27-minute no-fly zone on Sunday from 09.30 to 09.57 local time (08.30-08.57 WIB). According to a report by Taiwan News Agency CNA, Beijing revised the duration of the no-fly zone --from three days on Sunday to Tuesday (18/4) to just 27 minutes. The MOTC said 33 scheduled flights affected by the no-fly zone on Sunday morning. "The civil aviation department and the relevant maritime department have issued relevant notifications," Wang Wenbin said in response to the report. He explained that the civil aviation department had issued a notification and announcement of aerospace activities that might have an impact on the airspace. "Reminding the department regarding air traffic services and air space users to pay attention to their impact and to be responsible for ensuring flight security," he said. A notification letter from the Fujian Provincial Maritime Security Agency stated that rocket debris is expected to fall in the East Sea of China, which is adjacent to Taiwan Island, on April 16, 2023 from 09.00 to 15.00 local time (08.00-14.00 WIB). Wang added that the notifications and announcements issued for the space activities included the coverage of possible affected airspace. The air traffic service department, he continued, needs to take action to ensure flight safety based on this information.