Beijing’s recent unilateral launch of the M503 northbound flight and extension routes in the Taiwan Strait jeopardizes aviation safety as well as cross-strait peace and stability, according to the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council Jan. 29.
MAC Minister Chang Hsiao-yueh said mainland China must enter into negotiations with Taiwan as soon as possible to ensure the routes maintain an appropriate distance from the median line of the strait and minimize their impact on existing flight operations between Taiwan proper and outlying Kinmen and Matsu. Under international civil aviation regulations and an agreement reached between the two sides in March 2015, the routes should not have been opened without prior communication.
In January 2015, mainland China took the unilateral decision to create the M503 flight and extension routes. After five rounds of meetings, Taipei and Beijing reached an understanding in March the same year that mainland China would inaugurate only the southbound segment of one route, that aircraft using the route would fly 6 nautical miles west of the original path and that the other three routes would not be launched without communication between the two sides.
According to Chang, the 2015 pact is an example of Taiwan and mainland China extending goodwill and showing willingness to negotiate for the well-being of the people on both sides. Aviation safety is a universal right and must be placed ahead of political differences, she said.
In a survey on the issue released Jan. 22 by New Taipei City-based Cross-Strait Policy Association, 74.2 percent of respondents disapproved of mainland China’s unilateral launch of the flight routes, while 85.7 percent supported the government’s call for Beijing to commence talks so as to resolve the matter. These findings reflect the Taiwan people’s concern as well as their hope that both sides can resolve the matter through communication, Chang said.
Mainland China’s response to the controversy demonstrates its regard for the will of the Taiwan people, Chang said. Beijing must not underestimate the significance of this issue as it will influence how the people of Taiwan perceive the future development of cross-strait ties, she added.
Conducted Jan. 19-20, the telephone poll surveyed 1,072 adults nationwide with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.99 percent and a 95 percent confidence level. (KWS-E)
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