China Expands Controversial Air Route Near Taiwan

China has unilaterally opened a new extension of the contentious M503 civil aviation route near the Taiwan Strait, sparking strong objections from Taiwan. The new W121 extension, announced on July 6, 2025, enables west-to-east commercial flights from mainland China toward Taiwan. The decision comes just ahead of Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military exercises, heightening concerns over Beijing’s intentions and regional stability.

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council condemned the move as a unilateral change to the status quo and a direct threat to security in the Taiwan Strait. The council asserted that any adjustments to the M503 route or its extensions should be the result of mutual consultation. China’s latest action marks the third such expansion following the activation of the W122 and W123 extensions in 2024.

Beijing has defended the change, claiming the new route improves flight efficiency, reduces air traffic delays, and enhances passenger convenience. However, Taipei sees the move as part of a broader campaign to assert control over contested airspace and apply both civil and military pressure on the self-governed island.

The M503 route, sanctioned by the International Civil Aviation Organization in the mid-2000s to ease congestion along China’s busy A470 route, runs just 7.8 kilometers from the median line of the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan’s concerns have grown in recent years as China has reversed prior concessions made in 2015, which included adjusting the route’s position and restricting flight directions.

Taiwan views China’s growing use of the M503 route and its offshoots as a deliberate effort to undermine the island’s autonomy and increase cross-strait tension through incremental, non-military actions.

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