China's military manoeuvres around Taiwan resulted in the island being surrounded by air and sea. The aim of the military exercise was to completely isolate the island which Beijing continues to regard as its own.
The air encirclement led Beijing to notify airlines that there was a temporary danger of flying in the region during these exercises.
The Taiwanese Ministry of Transport has indicated that airlines have cancelled almost half of their scheduled flights. Other carriers have set up alternative routes to avoid the island. Most of the cancellations concerned routes between South-East Asia and North-East Asia (China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan).
However, on Monday, Beijing shifted its manoeuvres to the north of the island towards the Korean Peninsula. This has enabled air traffic to pick up again, particularly on international routes.. The situation is therefore completely normal this Wednesday 10 August.
China has meanwhile announced that it regularly conducts other military manoeuvres to intimidate Taiwan, the island may be temporarily isolated again in the future.
In retaliation, Taiwan decided ban all transit through its airports to and from mainland China for international passengers. The measure came into force immediately.
Tensions in the midst of the first cuts
Tensions between Taiwan and its Chinese neighbour, which have persisted for several years, were further exacerbated by the recent visit of Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives. But they are taking place at a time when the island's government is beginning to loosen the stranglehold on international travellers wishing to visit Taiwan.
The Taiwanese government has announced lifting the requirement for a compulsory PCR test for foreign non-residents wishing to visit the island from 15 August onwards.
However, the government has indicated that the other measures remain in force. This means that passengers must undergo a PCR test on arrival, quarantine themselves for a mandatory three days and isolate themselves for a further four days in their chosen location. Also, travellers who test positive for Covid may not visit the island for seven days following the announcement of the result.
