China has closed a large section of its offshore space for 40 days without any notice, according to a WSJ report. The unusual move has raised questions whether Beijing is planning to conduct military drills as war rages in West Asia between Iran and the US.
No Official Announcement: Uncertain Atmosphere Across The Area
Observers have been left guessing about the possible motive of China behind closing the airspace for a considerable duration. Reports claim that China has restricted zones in its offshore airspace weeks after military planes from Beijing stopped near the Island without offering any explanation.
Even though Beijing hasn’t officially said they are conducting military drills, they have set up restricted zones hundreds of miles from Taiwan, which is interesting because Chinese military planes recently stopped flying near the island for no clear reason.
From March 27 to May 6, special warnings called “Notice to Air Missions” (Notams) were sent out to tell pilots to stay alert or avoid certain areas. So far, regular flights are still running normally, but pilots have to check in before flying through these zones. These restrictions go all the way from the ground up to the edge of space.
Is China Planning to Conduct Military Activity Near Taiwan?
The move could be a new way for China to show its power by controlling the airspace, if it is linked to a military activity. The Defence Ministry and the aviation ministry have not given any official information about this yet.
The reserved zones are even larger than Taiwan, starting from the Yellow Sea near South Korea to the East China Sea facing towards Japan.
Experts say as quoted by Wall Street Journal, that such zones could allow China to practice air combat scenarios which could lead to a possible Taiwan conflict. Taiwan officials believe that Beijing may increase military activity in that area while US attention is focused on the Iran Conflict.
This is happening while several big things are going on in the world. Specifically, talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are delayed, a leader from Taiwan is planning a visit, and the US and Japan have recently moved their militaries in the area.
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