China Airspace Restrictions, Japan Threat: Beijing’s Silent Airspace Gambit

On March 27, China’s Shanghai Flight Information Region issued multiple Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), abruptly designating vast stretches of airspace along its eastern seaboard as restricted warning zones and thereby barring flights from the area. The scope was extraordinary. The no-flight zones extend from the Korea-facing Yellow Sea to the Japan-facing East China Sea, flanking Shanghai to the north and south. Their total area exceeds the geographic size of Taiwan. Even more striking, the altitude designation, “SFC–UNL,” places no vertical limit on the restricted airspace, effectively restricting even the highest-flying aircraft.

The duration of the ban was even more unusual: until May 6, for a total of 40 days.

About the Author

Jianli Yang

Jianli Yang is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Center for the National Interest and a columnist for National Review.

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On March 27, China’s Shanghai Flight Information Region issued multiple Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), abruptly designating vast stretches of airspace along its eastern seaboard as restricted warning zones and thereby barring flights from the area. The scope was extraordinary. The no-flight zones extend from the Korea-facing Yellow Sea to the Japan-facing East China Sea, flanking Shanghai to the north and south. Their total area exceeds the geographic size of Taiwan. Even more striking, the altitude designation, “SFC–UNL,” places no vertical limit on the restricted airspace, effectively restricting even the highest-flying aircraft.

The duration of the ban was even more unusual: until May 6, for a total of 40 days.