Beijing, Taipei to discuss disputed new Chinese air route M503 in Kinmen next month

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council chief is expected to discuss a controversial new air route with his mainland counterpart in Kinmen next month.

Wang Yu-chi told a legislature session in Taipei yesterday that Zhang Zhijun, director of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, would visit Kinmen, the self-governed island's former defence outpost, for three days in early February and that the two would meet there.

"I will use this opportunity to exchange views with Zhang on the recent controversy over the mainland's unilateral allocation of the M503 air route [close to Taiwanese airspace] without reaching any agreement with us," Wang told legislators.

Beijing had on January 12 announced four new air routes on the southeast side of its coast that it planned to launch in March. One route, M503, is less than 8km from Taiwan's airspace over the Taiwan Strait.

Beijing had previously discussed the issue with Taipei but no consensus was reached before it unilaterally declared the routes. Taiwan has slammed the move as "unacceptable", saying that it went against the International Civil Aviation Organisation's practice and would create flight safety problems.

Some Taiwanese legislators have called for their government to stop ongoing talks with the mainland, including those related to trade and the economy, if Beijing refused to settle the air route issue with Taipei.