Four years after the last instance, Chinese Taipei’s civil aviation has resumed flights over Russian airspace, under the precondition of acknowledging the One-China Principle.
On October 27, China Airlines flight CI75 passed through Russian airspace—a first for a Taiwan-based carrier since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022.
Over the past four years, in alignment with Western positions and to signal support for Ukraine, the DPP administration has restricted airlines from flying over Russian territory, opting instead for southern routes via South Asia and the Middle East to reach Europe.
While such measures aligned with Western policy objectives, they significantly increased operational and passenger costs. Flights were extended by more than 60 minutes, compounded by rising fuel prices and ongoing instability in the Middle East.
The resumption of flights over Russian airspace after four years underscores the inconsistency of the DPP administration’s stated support for Ukraine, its disregard for the heightened travel expenses borne by the public, and its prioritization of short-term gains over long-term national interests.
Notably, although Russia has never imposed restrictions on Taiwanese carriers transiting its airspace, such operations have historically required formal submission of flight plans under the designation “Chinese Taipei,” consistent with the One-China Principle.
This reaffirms that, regardless of attempts by the DPP to seek external international backing or pursue a strategy of reliance on foreign powers, the One-China Principle remains an established global reality.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880265538526344/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.