Pakistan approves flights by Taiwanese airlines after reported restrictions

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority gave approval to two Taiwanese airlines to use the country's airspace on Wednesday, according to official documents, hours after a report that Islamabad had barred the carriers from its airspace in support of Beijing’s “one China” policy.

Two documents dated Wednesday approve passenger and cargo flights operated by EVA Air and China Airlines from Oct. 28 through March 27, 2027.

An initial report by Bloomberg quoted Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif as saying the country had closed its airspace to Taiwanese carriers. The news agency later reported that Pakistan had restored their overflight rights.

There was no immediate comment from Asif. The approval documents do not mention an earlier restriction or explain whether the authorizations represent a reversal.

Pakistan has long supported Beijing’s “one China” policy, which claims the self-governed island of Taiwan as its territory. Beijing has not ruled out using force to take control of the island, and China requires countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations to forgo formal ties with Taipei.

In April, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te postponed a visit to Eswatini, Taiwan’s only diplomatic partner in Africa, after Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar withdrew overflight permissions. Taiwan’s government blamed pressure from Beijing. China denied applying pressure but praised the countries’ decisions.

Lai ultimately reached Eswatini in May.

China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when Communist forces won China’s civil war and the defeated Nationalist government fled to the island.

____

Associated Press writer Simina Mistreanu contributed to this story from Bangkok.