China will launch controversial new flight route M503 on March 29. That’s the word from Taiwan’s top China policy maker, Andrew Hsia, on Friday.
China was originally planning to launch the new flight route on March 5. But its unilateral announcement of the route – just kilometers from the center line of the Taiwan Strait – drew a strong backlash from Taiwan. Officials in Taipei say that the new route poses a threat to aviation safety and to Taiwan’s national security.
In response to China’s announcement, the defense ministry said Friday that it will monitor the area to see if Chinese military planes are using the new route by posing as commercial aircraft. The ministry said that it has contingency plans in place if this happens.