The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council has defended the activation of the W121 connecting route for the M503 flight path through the Taiwan Strait.

In a statement signed Sunday by the spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, Chen Binhua, the measure was aimed at alleviating flight congestion, ensuring aviation safety, and protecting passenger rights.

The response came after Taiwan condemned the move, warning that it could heighten tensions in the region.

Binhua emphasised that the new route “serves the interests of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The move was designed to ease air traffic congestion, enhance aviation safety, and reduce flight delays.”

He further clarified that the M503 flight path was located within the Shanghai Flight Information Region (FIR) and that establishing and activating the route was a routine airspace management decision by mainland civil aviation authorities.

Binhua noted that since the activation of the M503 route and its connecting routes (W122, W123), overall flight operations have remained safe and stable, significantly improving operations across the Strait and facilitating personnel exchanges between the two sides.

Earlier reports from The Guardian highlighted Taiwan’s concerns, with the island’s Mainland Affairs Council criticising Beijing for unilaterally opening the aviation route without consultation.

But Beijing has continued to assert its claim over Taiwan, which it considers part of its territory.

The Taiwan Strait is a 180-kilometre-wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and the Asian continent. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north. The narrowest part is 130 km wide.