Taiwan stated on Thursday that Pakistan briefly shut its airspace to Taiwanese passenger and cargo flights. Taipei suspected Beijing of influencing the action, and Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi confirmed the closure and subsequent reopening of airspace to Taiwanese airlines.
,Major carriers China Airlines and EVA Air usually use the route over Pakistan for their Asia-Europe journeys. Flight tracking data showed that both airlines began rerouting their Europe-bound aircraft further north over Russia or further south over the Gulf last weekend. Recent data indicates that some Taiwanese flights have started using Pakistani airspace again.
,Chen said the airlines received notification from Pakistani authorities regarding a temporary lifting of the ban, and that the permission would last until the end of the winter season. Neither China Airlines nor EVA Air confirmed the airspace status when contacted.
,Chen condemned the closure and criticized Beijing. He said that using leverage over Global South nations represented poor practice, and that the disruption interferes with passenger safety and smooth operations within the global supply chain.
,Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told Bloomberg News on Wednesday that the airspace closure followed adherence to Beijing, specifically the One China policy. Meanwhile, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters on Thursday that Beijing was not aware of any obstacles preventing international travel for residents of the Taiwan region. China views Taiwan as its territory and opposes the island’s international participation and foreign exchanges.
,Chen stated that this marks the first instance of a country closing its airspace to Taiwanese commercial flights. In April, the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar cancelled overflight permits for Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te during a trip to Eswatini, forcing a postponement. Taipei blamed intense pressure from China for that incident.
,Chen warned that Beijing has found a new method to isolate the island by weaponizing airspace assets to block access. Taiwan lacks formal diplomatic ties with Pakistan, which maintains close ties with Beijing.
,Chen said that many like-minded countries provided assistance during the airspace issue. He expressed fear that the practice might spread to other Global South nations, calling this a major concern for Taiwan and other countries in the region and beyond.
,Pakistan and China share decades of close diplomatic and strategic ties, frequently describing their partnership as an all-weather friendship. Beijing is Islamabad’s largest trading partner and a major investor through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, having funded large transport, energy and infrastructure projects with tens of billions of dollars.
