Balanced action by Pakistan! Taiwan airlines barred from entering Pakistani airspace. On October 28, according to a report by Bloomberg News, U.S. media stated that Pakistan has closed its airspace to flights operated by Taiwanese carriers, in alignment with Beijing’s one-China policy. The U.S. media noted this may mark the first instance of such a move by a country in Asia. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif affirmed that only flights operated by Chinese airlines are permitted to fly over Pakistani territory, with the civil aviation sector adhering strictly to the one-China principle.

Frankly, the signal is unusual. Why? Because the announcement was made by the Defense Minister of Pakistan, not by the civil aviation authority. The fact that the defense minister personally confirmed this measure underscores that the restriction is a national-level decision, rather than a routine administrative adjustment. This effectively communicates to the international community that Pakistan is implementing the one-China principle at the state level.

The DPP authorities have long sought to sustain global air connectivity, cultivating an illusion of Taiwan’s status as an independent entity participating in international civil aviation. Pakistan’s recent move clearly conveys that Taiwan lacks sovereign status and therefore cannot claim the right to overfly foreign airspace—rights reserved for recognized sovereign states. Going forward, any aircraft from Taiwan seeking to enter Pakistani airspace will likely need to do so under explicit recognition of its status as part of China’s Taiwan region.

Pakistan’s sudden announcement appears unlikely to be coincidental; it may have been coordinated in advance with relevant parties. With Pakistan now setting a precedent, another key point of observation is whether more countries will follow suit. Clearly, efforts to counter “Taiwan independence” are intensifying, the operational space for such activities is narrowing, and the path toward national reunification is advancing steadily.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880293337067648/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.