Washington: Four members of the U.S. Congress have officially urged the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to invite Taiwan to participate as a guest in its upcoming 42nd assembly scheduled for September. The lawmakers emphasized the necessity of this inclusion in light of recent unilateral actions by China concerning flight routes in the Taiwan Strait.

According to Focus Taiwan, the appeal was made through a letter addressed to Juan Carlos Salazar, ICAO’s secretary-general. In the correspondence, the lawmakers also demanded that ICAO “clarify its opposition” to China’s unilateral decision to fully open a third extension of the M503 flight route, which was initially declared in 2015. This route, while located in the Shanghai Flight Information Region, is alarmingly close to the Taipei Flight Information Region, raising concerns over flight safety and Taiwan’s sovereignty.

China’s recent actions in February 2024, which involved moving the M503 route closer to the median line of the Taiwan Strait, have further exacerbated these concerns. Additionally, in July 2025, Beijing announced plans to open the W121 route, increasing risks by bringing civilian aircraft nearer to Taiwan-administered airspace. Lawmakers have highlighted that such changes could potentially lead to conflicts with east-west routes within the Taipei Flight Information Region, which manages a significant volume of air traffic.

The U.S. lawmakers-Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn, Republican Representative John Moolenaar, Democratic Senator Gary Peters, and Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi-argued that these unilateral modifications neglect international aviation procedures and ICAO’s own standards. They underscore the importance of coordination and risk mitigation in shared airspace, which are jeopardized by such actions.

The letter also expressed concern over Taiwan’s continued exclusion from meaningful participation in ICAO, despite its significant role in global aviation. Taiwan is recognized as the world’s 11th-largest aviation market and a pivotal transit hub in East Asia. The lawmakers contend that its absence from ICAO meetings and decision-making processes undermines global aviation safety.

The lawmakers pressed ICAO to publicly oppose unilateral changes to international flight routes that might compromise regional safety. They further advocated for Taiwan’s inclusion as a guest and technical participant in the forthcoming ICAO Assembly, which will take place at ICAO headquarters in Montreal, Canada, from September 23 to October 3.