BEIJING (Reuters) – China said it would ban vessels from an area north of Taiwan on Sunday due to the possibility of falling rocket debris, China’s maritime safety administration said on Thursday, without providing details.
The news comes after Taiwan said China would impose a no-fly zone briefly on Sunday morning in a similar area that would affect around 33 flights.
China has not commented on the no-fly zone but South Korea, which was also briefed on the plans, said the decision was made due to an object falling from a satellite launch vehicle.
Japan said on Thursday it had demanded an explanation from China about the no-fly zone.
China’s maritime safety administration said the restrictions would affect an area in the East China Sea on Sunday between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (0100 GMT to 0700 GMT).
(Reporting by Liz Lee; editing by Bernadette Baum and Jason Neely)
