China opens new M503 air route extension near Taiwan, Taipei protests

China has unilaterally opened a third extension of the controversial M503 civil aviation route near the Taiwan Strait, drawing sharp criticism from Taipei, which accuses Beijing of escalating regional tensions.

The newly activated W121 extension, announced on July 6, 2025, allows west-to-east civil flights from mainland China toward Taiwan. It comes just days before Taiwan launches its annual Han Kuang military exercises, which simulate a response to a potential Chinese blockade or invasion.

In a statement to Reuters, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council denounced the move as a unilateral attempt to “change the status quo” in the strait, calling it “unjustified” and a threat to regional stability. The island maintains that any modification to the M503 route or its extensions must be jointly discussed.

China, which does not recognize the Taiwan Strait’s median line, argues the change improves airspace efficiency, reduces delays, and benefits passengers on both sides. It marks the third such extension after W122 and W123 were activated in 2024.

The M503 route, approved by the International Civil Aviation Organization in the mid-2000s to relieve congestion on China’s A470 route, has long been a point of contention. Its proximity, just 7.8 kilometers from the strait’s median line, has prompted security concerns in Taipei, especially amid rising cross-strait tensions under the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party.

Although Beijing initially made concessions in 2015, including shifting the route and limiting flight directions, it has steadily rolled back those measures in recent years. Taiwan views the growing use of the route and its connectors as part of broader efforts by China to erode the island’s de facto sovereignty through both civil and military pressure.The post China opens new M503 air route extension near Taiwan, Taipei protests appeared first on AeroTime.

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