Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of China on its announcement on 4 January 2018 that it would activate four air routes along its southeast coast close to Taiwan’s Flight Information Region.

In line with our longstanding position, we encourage China and Taiwan to engage in dialogue to resolve this issue.

We understand that the opening of the four new air routes in the Taiwan Strait on 4 January is a cause of concern for the authorities in Taiwan. The Government is assessing whether the introduction of these new northbound flights in the Straits will have any impact on aviation in the region. We regularly discuss cross-Straits issues with the Chinese authorities.