CHINA AND ITS STRONG DRAGON ARM TACTIC IN ASIA AS IT DOES WHAT IT WANTS FIRST AND GET ASKED WITH QUESTIONS AFTERWARDS–CHINA EDICTS FOUR NEW FLIGHT PATHS IN TAIWANESE TERRITORY

Taipei, Jan. 15 (CNA) Taiwan's Legislative Yuan plans to issue a statement Friday on China's new flight routes that have been termed "unacceptable" by the executive branch of the government, according to Legislature Speaker Wang Jin-pyng on Thursday.

China announced four new flight routes just west of the center line of the Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and China Jan. 12, angering Taiwan.

At the Legislature, main opposition Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers demanded that the government lodge a strong protest and demand that China withdraw its decision to show Taiwan's will to defend its national interests.

The minor opposition Taiwan Solidarity Union's legislative caucus urged the government to stop all on-going negotiations with China until Beijing rescinds its decision.

Lawmaker Fai Hrong-tai, who is also acting head of the Central Policy Committee of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT), said the Legislature needs to take a position on this matter as it concerns both national sovereignty and air travel safety. "The KMT caucus will not propose a draft statement, which should be done by the Legislature's Organic Laws and Statutes Bureau," he said.

If there is a consensus among lawmakers on the wording of the statement, then there should not be any problem in passing it, Fai added.

A cross-party consultation has already reached a consensus on issuing a statement Friday, according to Wang, the speaker.

The Mainland Affairs Council has protested the "unilateral" announcement that will "impact both regional air safety and cross-Taiwan Strait relations."

Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration has expressed strong opposition, citing flight safety concerns and calling it "unacceptable" because China had not informed Taiwan before it announced the routes.

The administration said the new north-south route M503 is too close to the Taipei Flight Information Region, a key air transport hub in the West Pacific, and the three new east-west routes W121, W122 and W123 that connect with M503 could affect flights between Taiwan and the outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu.

It noted that the shortest distance between Route M503 and the center line of the Taiwan Strait is just 7.8 kilometers. (Chen Wei-ting and S.C. Chang)

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=2670634