New Delhi: Pakistan has once again taken a U-turn on its policies. The country briefly became the first to block two Taiwanese airlines from using its airspace in support of Beijing’s “One China” policy. Hours later, it restored their overflight rights.
The decision was first announced on 28 October after reports emerged that Taiwanese airlines had started taking longer routes to avoid Pakistan’s airspace.
“The aviation division follows the One China policy — only mainland China is allowed. We have permitted only Chinese airlines to fly over Pakistan,” Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Bloomberg News on Wednesday.
The agency did not include any immediate comment from Asif. The documents, as stated by Bloomberg, also do not mention an earlier restriction or explain whether the authorisations represent a reversal.
Another Bloomberg article from 29 October claims that Taiwan suspects China was behind Pakistan closing its airspace to Taiwanese airlines. Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi said that it “sends a very dangerous message around the world”.
However, he did not provide any evidence for the assertion.
What is the ‘One China’ policy?
Under the “One China” policy, Beijing considers Taiwan an inseparable part of its territory. Pakistan’s move is the first reported case of a country blocking Taiwanese airlines from its airspace in support of this policy.
Meanwhile, India has indicated that direct flights between India and Taiwan could be possible. The statement came amid reports that Pakistan had denied Taiwanese airlines access to its airspace.
“My sense is, if there are direct flights, they will fly”, said Randhir Jaiswal, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson on Wednesday.
According to Flightradar24 data, a China Airlines flight travelling from Taipei to Rome on October 24 took a different route through Russian airspace, avoiding its usual path via India, Pakistan and Turkmenistan.
In January, Pakistan reaffirmed its support for the One China policy, calling Taiwan an “inalienable part” of China.
Taiwan rejects Beijing’s claims and governs itself, but only 12 countries officially recognise it, including Belize and Tuvalu. Taiwanese airlines are also barred from flying over mainland China due to political tensions, WION reported.
Pakistan and China have maintained close relations since establishing diplomatic ties in 1951, making Pakistan one of the first countries to recognise the People’s Republic of China. The two countries continue to share strong political, economic and strategic ties, often describing their relationship as an “all-weather” partnership.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)