The U.S. State Department has urged China to open discussions on a series of new flight routes passing over the Taiwan Strait.
China has unilaterally announced it will begin allowing airlines to operate a series of four new flight routes beginning in March. The announcement has sparked concerns about conflict with existing routes between Taiwan and the outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu. The routes’ proximity to Taiwan has also raised questions of national security.
China’s foreign ministry said Thursday that it negotiated the new routes with the US in 2007. A ministry spokesperson said the International Civil Aviation Organization has already approved the routes and assigned them with codes.
However, the U.S. State Department said Tuesday that the Chinese foreign ministry’s statement contained “inaccuracies”. The State Department said the US Federal Aviation Administration neither conducted independent safety evaluations of the new routes nor cooperated with Chinese authorities to assess the new routes’ safety.
In an e-mail response to questions from Taiwan’s Central News Agency on Tuesday, a State Department official said that the US is urging China to consult with all parties that will be affected by the new routes.