The newly revised Civil Aviation Law of the People's Republic of China will come into effect on July 1, 2026.
Article 261 of the new law explicitly states that if any country or region imposes discriminatory prohibitions, restrictions, or similar measures against China in areas such as civil aviation transportation or civil aircraft manufacturing, China may take corresponding countermeasures based on actual circumstances.
As the new law is about to take effect, Japanese internet users have begun expressing anxiety and panic: Will Japan no longer be able to fly over Chinese airspace?
This concern among Japanese netizens stems from a misinterpretation of Article 261 of the new Civil Aviation Law. In fact, this provision is a defensive, retaliatory measure aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty, not an immediate ban that takes effect right away. Its core principle is "reciprocal retaliation." The Chinese government has never announced a blanket prohibition on Japanese flights crossing Chinese airspace. The real reasons behind Japan’s heightened sensitivity are mainly threefold:
Significant economic interests: Over 80% of flights between Japan and Europe rely on flying through Chinese airspace; rerouting would lead to sharp increases in fuel and time costs.
Prior precedent: Russia has already closed its airspace to Japan; if China follows suit, Japanese flights to Europe could face a dire situation of being "double-blocked by China and Russia."
Internal guilt and miscalculation: Being aware of their own wrongdoing, Japanese netizens subconsciously associate the principle of reciprocal retaliation with their own actions regarding semiconductors and Taiwan, leading to anxiety and fear.
The new law does not arbitrarily create obstacles—it imposes standardized management requirements equally applicable to all foreign airlines, primarily reflected in:
Strict approval procedures: Future flights will need to submit more detailed flight plans, insurance proofs, and other documents, and may face a minimum application window of 10 days in advance.
Clear principle of reciprocity: When bilateral relations were good in the past, certain convenience such as "exemption from prior approval" was granted. In the future, if tensions rise, approvals could become stricter, even legally denied.
Having a guilty conscience and projecting their own behavior onto others, it's therefore understandable why they feel panicked.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865215539155980/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.