US Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), US Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP John Moolenaar (R-MI), and Ranking Member of the committee Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) sent a joint letter to Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Juan Carlos Salazar on August 21. In the letter, they condemned China’s unilateral activation in July of the W121 flight route— which connects to the M503 flight route—stating that it “provokes regional instability in the Indo-Pacific and clearly demonstrates a disregard for international order and the potential dangerous civilian consequences of this decision.” They also called on ICAO to invite Taiwan to participate in the 42nd session of the ICAO Assembly and related technical meetings this year.

This follows strong US congressional backing of Taiwan in July, when Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jim Risch (R-ID), Chairman Moolenaar, and members of the House Select Committee on the CCP Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), and Neal Dunn (R-FL) spoke out against China’s unilateral activation of the W121 flight route. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung extends sincere appreciation to the US Congress for reiterating staunch public support of Taiwan.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) notes that Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) is the sole competent authority for the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR), which is adjacent to such flight routes as M503 and W121. In line with ICAO standards, China should consult with Taiwan and jointly coordinate any route changes in advance. However, China has thus far refused to do so, underscoring its heavy-handed authoritarian nature and blatant disregard for international civil aviation standards and the safety of passengers.

MOFA emphasizes that Taiwan is an important aviation hub in the Indo-Pacific and that the Taipei FIR, administered by Taiwan’s CAA, is responsible for the safety of over a million flights and tens of millions of passengers annually. Because aviation safety knows no borders, ICAO should promptly accept Taiwan’s full and unimpeded participation in all meetings, mechanisms, and activities. The 42nd session of the ICAO Assembly will soon take place at ICAO headquarters in Montreal, Canada. In 2013, Taiwan was invited to attend the ICAO Assembly. Given this precedent, MOFA urges ICAO to again invite a delegation from Taiwan to ensure that no one is left behind and that ICAO’s Safer Skies Initiative can be realized. (E)