NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs on Wednesday indicated that direct air connectivity between India and Taiwan could be explored, amid reports that Pakistan has barred Taiwanese airlines from using its airspace under its “One China” policy.“My sense is, if there are direct flights then they will fly,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said when asked about the possibility of direct flights between India and Taiwan.The remarks came after Pakistan reportedly restricted Taiwanese carriers from using its airspace, in a move that highlights Islamabad’s support for Beijing’s position on Taiwan.Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif confirmed the country’s position to Bloomberg News, saying its aviation policy permits only mainland Chinese airlines to fly over its airspace.“The aviation division follows the One China policy — only mainland China is allowed,” Asif said.“We have permitted only Chinese airlines to fly over Pakistan,” he added.Pakistan is the first country reported to have taken such a step against Taiwanese carriers. Bloomberg, citing flight-tracking data, reported that China Airlines Ltd and EVA Airways Corp had not flown over Pakistani airspace since the morning of October 25.The restriction came to light after aviation observers noticed that some Taiwanese flights had begun taking longer routes to reach Europe, flying entirely over Russian airspace since the weekend.According to Flightradar24 data, a China Airlines flight from Taipei to Rome on October 24 flew through Russian airspace, bypassing its earlier route through India, Pakistan and Turkmenistan.
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The move comes as China continues to urge other countries to support its claim that Taiwan is part of its territory. Beijing considers Taiwan a part of China, while Taipei maintains that the island is self-governed and rejects Beijing’s claim.Pakistan’s decision also underlines its close ties with China, which Islamabad has described as an “iron-clad friendship”. The two countries have maintained an “all-weather” partnership since establishing diplomatic relations in 1951.In January, Pakistan described Taiwan as an “inalienable part” of China and reiterated its commitment to the One China principle.