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China's no-fly zone near Taiwan flouts norms, poses threat: Experts

ROC Central News Agency

04/13/2023 12:58 PM

Taipei, April 13 (CNA) China's short-notice announcement it will implement a no-fly zone north of Taiwan between April 16 and 18 shows its disregard for international rules and poses a threat to regional flight security, Taiwanese experts told CNA late Wednesday.

According to Taiwan's Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), Beijing informed Taiwan on Tuesday that it planned to implement a no-fly zone from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. between April 16 to 18 for the purposes of "conducting aerospace activities."

The MOTC said that the notice period given by Beijing, which was less than the standard seven days, flouted international norms and jeopardized flight safety in the area.

Amid protests from Taipei, Beijing announced it would reduce the duration of the closing to 27 minutes on April 16, averting wider travel disruption, the MOTC said.

According to Taiwan's military, the no-fly zone is to be enforced around 85 nautical miles off the north of Taiwan and within Taiwan's Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) and northern air defense identification zone (ADIZ).

Taiwan's ADIZ, a self-declared area in which it asserts the right to identify, locate and control approaching foreign aircraft, is not part of territorial airspace as defined by international law.

According to South Korea and Japan, which China also briefed on its plans, the no-fly zone is being implemented due to concerns over falling debris from a satellite launch.

Asked to comment, Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the Taiwan government-funded Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), told CNA that a no-fly zone is a territory or area established by a military power over which certain aircraft are not permitted to fly.

Before setting up a no-fly zone, China should have issued a Notice To Airmen (NOTAM) at least seven days before the set date, said Peng Szu-ming (彭斯民), an aviation safety specialist.

According to Su, while such no-fly zones are normally set up within a country's territorial space, they sometimes overlap with other countries' FIRs and ADIZs.

In such cases, the country in question, in this case, China, is required to inform nearby authorities in a timely manner beforehand so that they can make prior preparations for aviation safety, including Taiwan, Su said.

Su said China's announcement did not follow international rules and that Beijing had deliberately chosen to set up the no-fly zone at Taipei FIR, one of the busiest flight routes in the area.

According to Su, China's actions pose a serious threat to regional and international aviation safety.

MOTC Deputy Minister Chi Wen-jong (祁文中) said NOTAMs should be issued at least seven days prior.

However, Chinese authorities only told Taiwan of the upcoming establishment of a no-fly zone on Tuesday, six days before April 16, Chi said.

Su said China's behavior showed a disregard for international regulations and norms, adding that Beijing was using the no-fly zone in an attempt to attain regional hegemony and assert its claims over Taiwan.

Meanwhile, Peng said that despite agreeing to cut short the duration of the no-fly zone, China had already successfully demonstrated to the world its ability to disrupt and block air traffic in northeastern Taiwan.

(By Matt Yu, Wang Shu-feng and Joseph Yeh)

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