The legislature issued a statement on Friday condemning China's unilateral declaration of four new flight routes passing near Taiwan. The new flight routes pass just west of the halfway between Taiwan and China in the Taiwan Strait.
Lawmakers with the opposition Democratic Progressive Party called on the government to lodge a strong protest and demand that China withdraw its decision in order to show Taiwan's will to defend its national interests. The ruling KMT also said that the legislature needs to take a position on the matter, as it concerns both national sovereignty and aviation safety.
The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) has expressed strong opposition to the new routes, citing flight safety concerns. The CAA also called the routes "unacceptable" because China had not informed Taiwan about them beforehand.
The CAA said the route M503 runs too close to the Taipei Flight Information Region, a key air transport hub in the West Pacific. The shortest distance between Route M503 and the center line of the Taiwan Strait is just 7.8 kilometers. The three other routes could affect flights between Taiwan and the outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu.