China to set up no-fly zone near Taiwan for 'space activities': Taipei
Taiwan Defence Ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang speaks at a news conference on the military exercises conducted by the China's People Liberation Army (PLA), in Taipei, Taiwan Apr 12, 2023. REUTERS/Ben Blanchard
TAIPEI: China will set up a brief no-fly zone north of Taiwan on Sunday (Apr 16) due to what the island's transport ministry described as "space activities".
The closure comes after Beijing completed three days of massive war games around self-ruled Taiwan last week, during which China simulated targeted strikes and practised a blockade of the island.
The no-fly zone does not appear to be linked to the drills, with Taiwan's transport ministry saying on Wednesday that China had imposed the restriction "on the convergence areas of many international routes" on the grounds of "space activities".
According to Taiwan's transport ministry, China had initially announced a three-day closure but revised it to a period of just 27 minutes following objections from Taipei, averting a wider travel disruption.
The restrictions are now set to be in place from 1.30am GMT to 1.57am GMT on Sunday.
Taiwan's Lieutenant General Yen Yu-hsien said the no-fly zone was within Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ).
"It's around 85 nautical miles off the north of Taiwan," he told a news briefing. "In the north, there are many international flight routes, including to Japan, Korea and the US."
China has not commented on the no-fly zone but South Korea, which was also briefed on the plans, said it was due to an object falling from a satellite launch vehicle.
Japan's top government spokesperson said Tokyo had also been notified of the no-fly zone.
"Chinese authorities notified us of the designation of an area that may affect the safety of aircraft flights for aerospace activities from Apr 16 to 18," Hirokazu Matsuno said.
WAR GAMES
Taiwan has been on high alert since China launched its military drills on Saturday after President Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.
The exercises ended on Monday when Beijing sent 54 aircraft into the island's southwestern and southeastern ADIZ - the highest recorded in a single day since October 2021.
The zone is not the same as Taiwan's territorial airspace and includes a far greater area that overlaps with part of China's own ADIZ and even some of the mainland.
J15 fighter jets flown off China's Shandong aircraft carrier were among the aircraft that crossed the median line, an unofficial boundary in the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan's defence ministry said.
The ministry also said eight warships and 35 aircraft were detected between Tuesday and Wednesday morning, after the war games ended.
China said on Wednesday that Tsai was pushing Taiwan to "stormy seas".
"Tsai Ing-wen brought danger to Taiwan. Tsai Ing-wen almost completely sided (with) the United States, pushing Taiwan into stormy seas," China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said.
