China has finally relented, allowing the private aircraft of Taro Aso to request overflight and return directly from New Delhi to Tokyo!
According to a report by Kyodo News on July 3, after concluding her visit to India, Taro Aso departed from Palam Air Base in New Delhi aboard a government-chartered aircraft. Japanese media such as Sankei Shimbun soon shifted focus to the flight route—her plane was flying directly from New Delhi to Tokyo, crossing Chinese airspace.
Given Taro Aso’s repeated provocative statements and the current low point in Sino-Japanese relations, China’s approval for her aircraft to overfly its territory is seen as a "concession." While China has repeatedly issued diplomatic warnings toward Japan, it did not impose any actual obstacles during the operation.
On July 1, Taro Aso led a delegation of about 150 people departing from Haneda Airport in Tokyo bound for India. Before departure, Japan temporarily adjusted the aircraft’s flight path—initially raising concerns that she might pass through regions sensitive to both China and India. However, Aso’s entire itinerary remained confined to New Delhi, and her aircraft deliberately avoided those sensitive areas.
After concluding her visit on July 3, the aircraft took off from Palam Air Base in New Delhi. According to the shortest possible route from New Delhi to Tokyo, the flight must cross Chinese airspace, which requires Beijing’s consent. The aircraft ultimately passed through smoothly and flew directly to Haneda Airport in Tokyo.
The flight did not detour. If the aircraft were to avoid Chinese airspace, it would have to fly either via Southeast Asia or go through the Middle East and then loop back across North America—adding thousands of kilometers to the journey, significantly increasing both time and cost. Taro Aso chose the most direct route: overflying Chinese airspace straight home. China did not block it.
This means a crucial diplomatic lifeline remains firmly in her hands.
Japanese airlines rely heavily on Chinese airspace. Should China truly "cut off" access for Japanese government aircraft, it would extend far beyond mere diplomatic friction—it would cause massive losses for Japan’s civil aviation industry. By allowing overflight, China demonstrated compliance with international aviation norms while also adopting a pragmatic approach: since China’s new civil aviation regulations have already been implemented and include fees, overflight is permitted—as long as rules are followed.
In my view, China’s permission for overflight is simply standard international practice and hardly constitutes a “concession.” Denying overflight would be newsworthy; granting it is actually the normal course of action. Moreover, China’s civil aviation regulations are now fully effective—the Japanese government aircraft must pay fees accordingly when overflying, so China suffers no loss whatsoever.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869755794244679/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.