Taiwan said China dialed down plans for a no-fly zone near the island after it complained about risks to flight safety, a rare possible instance of backtracking by Beijing as tensions between the two sides simmer.
China initially intended to impose the zone for “aerospace activities” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. over three days next week, the Transportation Ministry in Taipei said in a statement Wednesday — just days after the People’s Liberation Army ended major military drills around the democracy.
Beijing later told Taipei that the zone would only be in place over about 27 minutes on Sunday morning after Taiwan protested about “a serious impact on aviation management in the region, seriously undermining the rights and safety of air traffic,” the ministry said. It called Beijing’s plans “unprecedented internationally.”
