China Extends Navigation Warning Time Period On 16 Apr

MNI (London) - China’s Fujian Maritime Safety Administration has issued a navigation warning for 16 April stating that from 0900-1500 local time there may be debris from a rocket launch falling into the waters north of Taiwan. The latest warning comes as part of a back and forth between Chinese authorities and Taiwan. The initial warnings - both navigation warnings and no-fly zones - were issued for six-hour periods on 16, 17 and 18 Apr.

• However, on 12 April the no-fly zone warning was shortened to a 27-minute period on 16 April after major objections from the Taiwanese gov't, as well as concern from other nations given that the sizeable no-fly zone could impact travel for ministers travelling to the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Japan on the same day.
• The navigation warning, though, has now been re-extended to the full six hour period on 16 April, with China believed to be launching a satellite over the area in question.
• The use of such a busy section of airspace, which sees hundreds of flights each day between Japan and southeast Asian nations, for a satellite launch has raised eyebrows, with the FT reporting that "other countries typically avoid blocking airspace as busy as the main north-south connection into Japan."