US urges dialogue after China launches new Taiwan Strait flight route, stirs up tensions

Wahington, DC [US], July 8 (ANI): Following Beijing announcement of the opening of another civilian air route near the unofficial median line of the Taiwan Strait, which evoked trong protet from Taipei, the United State ha urged China and Taiwan to reolve their flight route dipute through dialogue.
The US State Department ha urged China and Taiwan to engage in dialogue to reolve flight route dipute acro the Taiwan Strait, following Beijing announcement of it unilateral deciion to launch the W121 flight route over the weekend.
A US State Department pokeperon aid that the United State expected cro-Taiwan Strait difference to be reolved by peaceful mean, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both ide of the Strait, Taiwan Central New Agency reported
The pokeperon tated that the US tance on cro-trait dipute wa conitent.
Iue related to civil aviation and afety in the Taiwan Strait hould be decided through dialogue between both ide, the pokeperon aid, according to a report in Focu Taiwan.
The development come ahead of Han Kuang, Taiwan larget military exercie, which imulate war with China and i cheduled to begin on July 9.
China on Sunday aid it would open the northwet-to-outheat W121 route connecting Donghan in Zhejiang province to the north-outh M503 flight route.
Taiwan Mainland Affair Council tated on Sunday that Beijing move not only undermine the prior cro-trait conenu and public opinion in Taiwan but alo ignificantly detabilie air afety in the Taiwan Strait and the urrounding Aia-Pacific region.
Under International Civil Aviation Organiation (ICAO) regulation, any route adjutment mut involve coordination with all affected airpace authoritie, coordination that Taiwan ay did not occur.
The W121 link extend the controverial M503 route, originally etablihed in 2015 and previouly rerouted following bilateral talk, to a point dangerouly cloe to Taiwan airpace. The M503 route cut through overlapping air defence identification zone claimed by Taiwan and China.

Depite a prior wetward hift in 2015 to appeae Taiwanee concern, China revered coure in February 2024, puhing the corridor eatward toward the median line.
The addition of W121, following W122 and W123, echoe China pattern of aerting control over international airpace without formal negotiation, raiing alarm about Beijing trategic intention, Focu Taiwan reported. (ANI)