China’s no-sail zone near Taiwan confirms ‘rocket debris’ risks behind earlier flight ban
- Fujian maritime safety notice declares area northeast of Taiwan off-limits for six hours from 9am on Sunday over fears of ‘falling rocket debris’
- Warning corresponds with temporary no-fly zone announced earlier by Beijing
A notice issued by the Maritime Safety Agency of southeastern Fujian province on Thursday said surface vessels should not enter an area northeast of Taiwan for six hours from 9am on Sunday, because “there might be falling rocket debris”. Fujian is the mainland Chinese province closest to Taiwan.
The area covered by the warning corresponded with a no-fly zone announced by Beijing earlier, which drew criticism for likely disruption to flights in the area amid heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
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Taipei says it is monitoring Beijing’s planned ‘no-fly zone’ and continued military drills
The no-entry zone declared for sailing vessels covers a rectangular area 118km (73 miles) from Taiwan at the closest point, and 126km from the island’s capital Taipei. It also skirts the northwestern shores of Japan’s Ishigaki Island near Taiwan, and a group of disputed Japanese-controlled islets in the East China Sea, which Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing claims as the Diaoyu Islands.
Responses from both Japan and South Korea appeared to corroborate the “rocket debris” theory.