Pakistan Becomes First Country to Bar Taiwanese Carriers from Its Airspace Amid One-China Stance
Pakistan has banned Taiwanese airlines from using its airspace, making it the first country in the world to impose such a restriction in explicit support of Beijing’s One-China policy. The Express Tribune
The move, reported by Bloomberg on October 28, 2026, was confirmed by Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, who stated: “The aviation division follows the One China policy; only mainland China is allowed.”
Flight-tracking data shows that Taiwan’s two major carriers, China Airlines and EVA Airways, began rerouting their flights over the weekend, having not flown over Pakistan since Sunday. Both airlines declined to comment, and Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration did not address the change.
Notably, Pakistan’s stance is stricter than China’s own. Beijing still allows Taiwanese carriers to overfly its territory. Pakistan severed official ties with Taiwan in 1951 and has since deepened its relationship with Beijing through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Belt and Road Initiative.
China remains Pakistan’s largest weapons supplier, and the two countries launched the China-Pakistan Information Corridor just one day prior. Read our previous article on Asia’s Geopolitics here.
