Focus Taiwan
Date: 10/16/2020
By: Wang Shu-fen and Ko Lin

Taipei, Oct. 16 (CNA) Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) on Friday disclosed a full transcript of the communications between Taiwanese and Hong Kong air traffic controllers, rebutting the latter's claim that one of its planes had voluntarily abandoned its flight plan, and insisted that it was the Hong Kong side that had denied permission for the plane to proceed to the disputed Dongsha Island claimed by both sides.

The incident happened on Thursday when a civilian aircraft from Taiwan chartered by the military was advised by Hong Kong air traffic controllers not to enter the airspace over a group of islands in the South China Sea because "dangerous activities" were in progress in the area, according to the CAA.

The Dongsha Islands, administered by Taiwan but also claimed by China, are located about 310 kilometers southeast of Hong Kong and are within its Flight Information Region (FIR).

It has been standard practice for Taiwanese air traffic controllers to inform their Hong Kong counterparts whenever a plane in the Taipei FIR is about to enter the Hong Kong FIR and is about 20-30 nautical miles away.    [FULL  STORY]