China has reportedly set aside large sections of offshore airspace for 40 days without giving any reason. The move is unusual, as similar alerts are normally linked to short military drills lasting only a few days, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
No announcement, no explanation
Beijing has not announced any exercises in the area, adding to the uncertainty, according to News18.
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The reserved zones are reportedly located hundreds of miles away from Taiwan, following a recent unexplained pause in Chinese military flights near the island.
Warnings to pilots
The alerts, reportedly active from March 27 to May 6, were issued as ‘Notice to Air Missions’ (Notams), which are typically used to warn pilots about temporary airspace restrictions or hazards.
Civil aviation, however, has not been disrupted, though aircraft must coordinate to pass through the restricted areas, News18 reported.
Ray Powell of Stanford University said that the combination of unlimited altitude and a 40-day duration, without any declared exercise, suggests a long-term operational posture rather than a short drill.
War rehearsal or power-play?
The move could mark a shift in how China uses airspace control to send signals, if it is linked to military activity. The Defence Ministry and aviation authorities have not yet commented on this matter.
The reserved zones stretch across an area larger than Taiwan, from the Yellow Sea near South Korea to the East China Sea facing Japan.
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The move reportedly comes amid major global developments, including delayed talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, a planned visit by Taiwan’s Kuomintang leader, and recent US and Japanese military actions in the region.
