Canada-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group chairwoman Judy Sgro has invited group members to sign a letter asking the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to address Beijing’s unilateral changes to flight route M503.
China announced the changes at the end of last month, breaking its agreement with Taiwan that southbound flights on the flight route should operate 6 nautical miles (11km) southwest of the route.
It also said it would allow eastbound flights on the W122 and W123 flight paths, which the two sides had agreed not to launch before details of their implementation were confirmed.
Photo: Reuters
Representative to Canada Harry Tseng (曾厚仁), on behalf of the government, sent a letter to ICAO Council president Salvatore Sciacchitano on Wednesday last week, urging the organization to address the issue and provide timely support.
He also called on Canada and international society to pay close attention to the issue at a parliamentary briefing that Sgro held on Wednesday, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada said.
Tseng said Taiwan hoped that Canada would voice concerns about Beijing’s continued attempts to heighten tensions across the Taiwan Strait and its disregard for civil aviation safety, the office said.
Sgro said that the friendship group was collecting signatures from its members on a letter addressed to Sciacchitano to urge the organization to deal with the issue, it said.
Initiating a joint letter shortly after a single incident due to its urgency, importance and seriousness “is quite rare,” Tseng told the Central News Agency.
Although Taiwan is not a member of the ICAO and there is no precedent regarding the issue, the ICAO is likely to take some form of action, and at least discuss the incident internally, he said.
At the parliamentary briefing, Tseng also discussed the situation in Taiwan after its Jan. 13 presidential and legislative elections, the office said.
He spoke of how China claimed that the election results did not reflect public opinion, how it lured away Taiwan’s diplomatic ally Nauru, prevented Taiwan from hosting the Asian Men’s U20 Volleyball Championship this year and is considering suspending tariff concessions on more Taiwanese products, the office said.
Many Canadian lawmakers attending the briefing were very concerned about China’s interference and disinformation campaign during Taiwan’s elections, fearing that Beijing might do the same during Canada’s election, it said.
Tseng said that the scale and intensity of Chinese interference leading up to last month’s elections were greater than ever, including the use of artificial intelligence to spread rumors and vilify candidates on social media platforms, the office said.
Taiwan was able to deal with the issue, because of its vast experience in countering such disinformation, Tseng said, adding that its robust civil society also helped to verify suspicious information promptly.
The nation is willing to share its experiences with Canada and provide suggestions, he added.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College