Iran's 'catastrophic mistake': Speculation, pressure, then admission

Yahoo – AFP, Stuart WILLIAMS, January 11, 2020

An Iranian holds a newspaper with a picture of the debris of the Ukrainian plane
that crashed in Tehran on January 8, 2020, outside a news stand in the Islamic
republic's capital (AFP Photo/ATTA KENARE)

Paris (AFP) - When a Boeing passenger jet crashed in Iran early on January 8, speculation immediately swirled that the only plausible explanation was that it had been shot down by Iran.

The crash of the Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) flight came hours after Tehran had launched a barrage of missiles at bases housing American troops in Iraq, retaliating for the killing of commander Qasem Soleimani in a US strike.

Immediately, theories multiplied arguing that Tehran's air defence system, on high alert for possible US retaliation, may have been triggered by accident.

Western leaders cited intelligence pointing to an accidental strike by Iran. Verified video images later emerged showing a missile striking a plane.

From Wednesday to Friday, Iranian officials repeatedly insisted that the plane had not been shot down. Early on Saturday however, the Islamic republic admitted that the plane had been hit by a short-range missile in what President Hassan Rouhani described as a "catastrophic mistake".

Ukrainian passenger jet crash in Iran (AFP Photo)

What happened on January 8?

The Boeing 737-800NG for UIA's flight PS752 between Tehran and Kiev took off from Imam Khomeini International Airport at 6:12 am local time.

Although there was no distress message from the pilot, the plane had begun to turn back for the airport before crashing at 6:18 am, said the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization. The aircraft came down near Sabashahr on the outskirts of Tehran.

There were 10 departures from Tehran airport that day before flight PS752, according to the Flight Radar 24 monitoring site. That raised questions as to why air traffic had not been halted given the situation.

All 176 people on board the flight PS752 -- mainly Iranians and Canadians, including dual nationals, but also Ukrainians, Afghans, Britons and Swedes -- were killed.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was the first major leader to publicly 

state Iran could be to blame for the plane crash (AFP Photo/Dave Chan)

How did pressure grow?

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was the first major leader to publicly state Iran could be to blame. He said Canada had intelligence from multiple sources "including our allies and our own intelligence" that indicated "the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile."

"This may well have been unintentional," Trudeau added.

His language was echoed by other Western leaders including Dutch Premier Mark Rutte, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

US President Donald Trump said he had "suspicions" as "somebody could have made a mistake", and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo then said the United States believed it was "likely" that an Iranian missile downed the airliner.

The New York Times also said it had verified a video appearing to show a missile hitting a plane at night above the Tehran suburb of Parand, west of the airport.

What did Iran initially say?

For three days, Iranian officials refused to countenance any suggestion that one of its missiles had brought down the plane.

The country's civil aviation chief Ali Abedzadeh said that one "thing is for certain, this airplane was not hit by a missile", arguing that it would have exploded immediately if hit by a missile.

Experts questioned that claim, arguing that such missiles explode before coming into contact with the target.

This handout photograph taken and released on January 11, 2019, by The 

National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, shows people analysing 

the remains of the Ukraine International Airlines plane Boeing 737-800 that

crashed outside Tehran (AFP Photo/STR)

What does Iran now admit?

In an announcement early Saturday that took many experts by surprise, Iran admitted it had "unintentionally" shot down the jet after a missile operator mistook the plane for a cruise missile.

Tehran said its systems had been on high alert for American retaliation in the hours after the Iranian strikes on bases housing US troops in Iran.

"He had 10 seconds to decide," the aerospace commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh said of the operator, who he insisted had "acted alone".

"He could have decided to strike or not to strike and under such circumstances he took the wrong decision."

Rouhani called it an "unforgivable mistake", vowed that compensation would be paid to the families while those responsible would be prosecuted.

What kind of missile was used?

Unverified images posted on social media show the remains of a Russian-made Tor M-1 missile but Tehran has yet to give details on the kind of weaponry used.

Tehran received 29 such air defence systems from Moscow under a $700 million contract signed in 2005, a deal that caused considerable unease in the West.

The Bellingcat open-source analytics website has said the origin of the images is yet to be determined, and the people who captured the images have not come forward.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, pictured on January 9, 2020 in a 

presidential press handout photo placing flowers at a memorial for the victims 

of the Ukraine International Airlines crash in Tehran, has toughened his stance 

on Iran (AFP Photo/HO)

What does Ukraine want now?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, initially wary of blaming Tehran, has toughened his line since Tehran's admission.

After Zelensky spoke to Rouhani later Saturday, the Ukrainian presidency said that Zelensky asked Tehran to allow the bodies of the 11 Ukrainian victims to be repatriated "by January 19".

He added that Ukrainian diplomats had produced a list of steps to be taken to "resolve the compensation issue".

Despite the three days of denial from Tehran, some have compared its reaction favourably to that from Moscow over the crash of the Malaysia Airlines flight shot down over eastern Ukraine in 2014.

Although the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team says a Russian-made BUK missile fired by pro-Russian separatists was to blame, Russia still denies any involvement.

Iranian police dispersed students chanting "radical" slogans during a gathering in Tehran to honour the 176 people killed when an airliner was mistakenly shot down, Fars news agency reported https://t.co/jtSIrcZiX1

— AFP news agency (@AFP) January 11, 2020

CIA Pilot Swears Oath: Planes Did Not Bring Towers Down On 9/11

If they cannot or do not rebut the theory, the US Government will by omission be allowing that the official account provided by the 9/11 Commission is not the truth.

YourNewsWire, Posted on January 20, 2016 by Baxter Dmitry in Conspiracies

Former CIA and commercial pilot John Lear has come forward and sworn an affidavit stating that the Twin Towers were not bought to the ground by planes crashing into them. 

In his expert opinion the official version of events that claims two planes crashed into the towers is actually “physically impossible.”

With reports from the Kremlin this week that President Putin is ready to release satellite images proving that the Twin Towers were destroyed by “controlled demolition” rather than by the force of two planes, enormous strides towards disproving the official 9/11 Commission version are taking place.

An affidavit is serious business in law. Unlike any other form of statement, an affidavit becomes “truth in law” if it is not rebutted. It is now up to the opponents of John Lear’s theory to present evidence and attempt to disprove his statement point by point.

If they cannot or do not rebut the theory, the US Government will by omission be allowing that the official account provided by the 9/11 Commission is not the truth.

And believe me, John Lear’s statement makes a very strong case. He is not just a simple pilot throwing his opinion around. He is as close as you can come to being American intelligence and aerospace aristocracy.

The grandson of Learjet founder Bill Lear, John himself is a retired airline captain and former CIA pilot who has flown over 100 different types of plane during 40 years of active flying. He holds more FAA airman certificates than any other FAA certified pilot. He has flown covert CIA missions in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

John Lear, a retired airline captain and former CIA pilot with over 19,000 hours
 of flight time, has sworn an affidavit stating that no planes flew into the Twin
Towers as it would have been “physically impossible”.

Basically, you don’t want to argue with John Lear about flying and planes. You don’t want to argue with him about planes flying into tall buildings and bringing them to the ground. Here is what he has to say in his sworn affidavit about the planes that supposedly bought down the Twin Towers:

No Boeing 767 airliners hit the Twin Towers as fraudulently alleged by the government, media, NIST and its contractors. Such crashes did not occur because they are physically impossible as depicted, for the following reasons:

In the case of UAL 175 going into the south tower, a real Boeing 767 would have begun ‘telescoping’ when the nose hit the 14 inch steel columns which are 39 inches on center.

The vertical and horizontal tail would have instantaneously separated from the aircraft, hit the steel box columns and fallen to the ground. The engines when impacting the steel columns would have maintained their general shape and either fallen to the ground or been recovered in the debris of the collapsed building.

No Boeing 767 could attain a speed of 540 mph at 1000 feet above sea level ‘parasite drag doubles with velocity’ and ‘parasite power’ cubes with velocity. The fan portion of the engine is not designed to accept the volume of dense air at that altitude and speed.

The piece of alleged external fuselage containing 3 or 4 window cutouts is inconsistent with an airplane that hit 14 inch steel box columns, placed at over 500 mph. It would have crumpled.

No significant part of the Boeing 767 or engine could have penetrated the 14 inch steel columns and 37 feet beyond the massive core of the tower without part of it falling to the ground.

The debris of the collapse should have contained massive sections of the Boeing 767, including 3 engine cores weighing approximately 9000 pounds apiece which could not have been hidden. Yet there is no evidence of any of these massive structural components from either 767 at the WTC.

Such complete disappearance of 767s is impossible.

It takes a highly skilled pilot to interpret the “EFIS” (Electronic Flight Instrument Display) display, with which none of the hijacker pilots would have been familiar or received training on, and use his controls, including the ailerons, rudder, flaperons, elevators, spoilers and throttles to effect, control and maintain a descent.

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What Really Happened on 9/11? (Matthew’s Message, April 26, 2005)

Kryon Q&A

Question (2002): Dear Kryon, A friend and I are meditating on the recent shark attacks and feel that it has to do with the planetary changes. We just can’t understand why they have become aggressive. What is the message the sharks are bringing? Why is this happening?

—Thank you,

Maryann

Answer: Indeed there are changes with the environment and also with biology regarding the 12-year grid change. I will first give you what was happening in general: What you are seeing are mammals, amphibians, insects, and even fish that are in areas that are new to them. Every life-form that migrates is effected by magnetics. All life forms that follows certain feeding scenarios and are “following the food” have the potential to be affected. This is due to the changing of the magnetic ley lines of the earth as we have stated before.

The areas where you can see in the ocean most clearly are within those migration patterns closest to the land. Where the ocean interfaces with the land, there are challenges for all these creatures for at least one of their generations. Whales will beach themselves by following old magnetics headings that now “drive” them into peninsula’s and other land areas that were marginally on the edge of their old paths. Birds, amphibians, and insects will be seen to do odd things for awhile.

So these shark fish may be in greater numbers in these coastal areas than in the past, but the increased aggressive behavior was actually something else: There was a tremendous “release” of energy due to the Sept. 11 event. Much like the energy of earthquakes and other earth movement, much of the environment “feels it” coming. We have spoken about how the Sept. 11 event was not a surprise to the earth. [See Lee’s article “Did Kryon give us hints”] So, some of the new actions of these fish were due to an actual energy buildup of coming events... of which you now understand.

If you are paying attention, therefore, you might ask, “Does this mean that Human consciousness issues affect the actual earth?” Yes they do! Finally you may begin to see how global consciousness is tied into the environment, and even to basic physics and reality. They are not separate, and never were. The indigenous knew it, and now the “modern” world is beginning to wonder.

Blessed is the Human Being who understands that what they think, do, and intend, actually drives the reality of the dirt of the planet!


Kryon Q&A

Question (Sep 21, 2001): Lee, how could Kryon have been so wrong? He said there would be no war, and that all would be good in these end times?

Answer: Questions like this are uncommon, since most who follow the Kryon work know that this is not what Kryon said at all. For clarity, however, and for those who may have only read one book in the series, I wish to summarize what Kryon has told us of our future potentials.

First of all, Kryon told us twelve years ago in Kryon Book One, The End Times, that we had changed the paradigm of the future on earth. We had voided the Armageddon as prophesied, and were headed toward the potential of a new consciousness on the planet… one of great promise. He indicated that the magnetic grid of earth would change to accommodate our new abilities (it did) and he told us that all the wars in these times would be tribal (they seem to be). Then he said that up to one percent of earth’s population might have to leave to accomplish all this (hardly a feel-good fact! - page 97). Do you remember this statement on page 101 regarding the future? “… many will terminate and return with new powers. Also, the transition to this new age of self determination and power will be filled with changes. Things will not remain the same for any of you…” He also gave us a date of 1999 where we might have an unbalanced leader creating chaos (page 23) This could have been Bosnia, or the beginning of what just happened. All of this was given within the first Kryon book, over a decade ago.

Indeed, communism fell over all by itself in the late 1980’s and there was no nuclear war. The time-line for the Armageddon as prophesied, passed, and many were aware that we were headed in a new direction – one that nobody had foreseen.

As the Kryon books unfolded into the new millennium, he gave us a great deal of personal information and methods for finding the divinity within ourselves. He always indicated that peace on earth began with individual work, and gave us invitations to change our DNA. Within the books he told us of the profundity of the 11:11 many times, where Humans had given permission to change the end. Then came Book 8, Passing the Marker. As I have indicated before, Book 8 probably gave us more information about what we are experiencing than any other. He told us that there would be "no more fence sitting." (page 217). This meant that there could be no more "in between" attitudes regarding what was happening on the planet-that the old vs. the new would create this. Many would be "torn off the fence," he said. On Sunday September 30, 2001, both Colin Powell, the United States Secretary of State, and the King of Jordan, HM King Abdullah II, were interviewed at separate times. Both used the phrase, "Getting off the fence."

Kryon also indicated a "pull backwards" of apparent stability and peace, and even predicted the potential of the uprising of Israel in 2000 (page 182). He used the term "spiritual rage" for the first time, as well, and also told us that we were in for a Battle between the old and new. He said, "Don't be shocked and surprised if that war is not over. In fact, in some cases, the battle has just begun!" (page 183).

In August, a few weeks before the tragedy, the channelling in Vancouver was on world unity! Listen to what he said about the United States (to be published shortly in the Sedona Journal of Emergence). “The United States is currently in its greatest learning period.” Then for both Canada and the U.S., he said the following: “…There must be decisions. Things cannot remain the same. Honored are those who understand that changes which are important are afoot. The biggest changes in all of these places will be the old vs. the new. We’re here to tell you that the Human Being who sits here and who reads these words is the one who can change this. It cannot stand as it is. The potential for the most profound creative changes come in the year of the three.” (2001)

I personally feel that hints were given all along regarding the potentials of our 11:11. I received the facts below from many on the Internet who noticed the 11 synchronicity.

• The date of the attack: 9/11 - 9 + 1 + 1 = 11

• September 11th is the 254th day of the year: 2 + 5 + 4 = 11

• After September 11th there are 111 days left to the end of the year.

• 119 is the area code to Iraq/Iran. 1 + 1 + 9 = 11 (reverse of the 911)

• Twin Towers - standing side by side, looks like the number 11

• The first plane to hit the towers was Flight 11

• State of New York - The 11 State added to the Union

• New York City - 11 Letters

• Afghanistan - 11 Letters

• The Pentagon - 11 Letters

• Ramzi Yousef - 11 Letters (convicted or orchestrating the attack on the

WTC in 1993)

• Flight 11 - 92 on board - 9 + 2 = 11

• Flight 77 - 65 on board - 6 + 5 = 11

Coincidence? We must look at the numbers… always. Kryon has told us from

the beginning that the energy of the end times is the “9” and the “11.” This was given in the first book, (Book one), and the last released book (Book eight). It was about completion and permission. It’s now becoming clear what this all means. Remember this, as well: 666 =18 = 9. Could it be that what we are seeing was also prophesied in veiled ways in scripture? Remember that most scripture is written in metaphors. According to Gregg Braden, even the prophet Isaiah told us that we had the ability to change the future. I believe we just have.

Kryon has now indicated that through Human free choice, we have opted to advance the process of creating unity on the planet… that this tragedy will be seen in history as the turning point for planetary change. In this light, therefore, we see a glimpse of how heretofore unthinkable things might happen—that nations might agree to come together and form coalitions to agree on what “civilization on earth” will permit and not permit—that millions may have just been “torn off the fence” through spiritual rage, and that they will have to decide one way or the other what energy they are going to join or not join.

This is what Kryon spoke of time and time again, and it has been published for

all to read. Now that it begins, and is of our own creation and free will, it will allow for that elusive phrase to come about… the eventual creation of “The New Jerusalem.” Kryon also said these words over and over: “As go the Jews, go Earth.” Perhaps we are beginning to see how this all fits?

What’s next? We still have free choice. Suddenly, however, we must decide to either wallow in the old ways, or clean up our earthly act. We have until 2012, according to Kryon. Whatever our energy then, will be our “stamp of intent” for Humanity.

I have said it before: Someday I will go home. When I do, I wish to have a meeting with almost 6,000 of our family who was lost this week. I want to tell them that what they did made a difference for hundreds of millions on earth, for their future children, and for the Universe. Then I want to hug each one and sing a hero’s song… one with lyrics about the 11:11… the day that Humans decided what they really wanted on earth, and took control to create it.

Given in Love

Lee Carroll

* This information was given to Lee in channel personally. He rephrased it with his personal comments for clarity, and for this E-publication.

UN asks US, Britain to open files on ex-secretary general's death

Yahoo – AFP, 18 Nov 2015

An 1960 photo captures a meeting between then-UN secretary-general Dag 

Hammarskjold and Moise Kapenda Tshombe, leader of the Katanga provincein

what is nowthe Democratic Republic of the Congo (AFP Photo)

United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The United Nations on Wednesday pressed demands that the United States and Britain release secret files on the mysterious death more than 50 years ago of former secretary-general Dag Hammarskjold.

Hammarskjold, the UN’s second secretary-general, died when his plane crashed on 17 or 18 September 1961 near Ndola in Northern Rhodesia -- now known as Zambia.

A UN panel said in July that it had uncovered new information pointing to the possibility that his plane may have been attacked and suggested that answers may be found in classified documents.

Requests sent by the panel to the United States and Britain for the secret files were turned down, but UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asked for the information to be released in July.

Ban's request, however, was ignored and the UN chief renewed his appeal on Wednesday.

"There is a possibility that unreleased material relating to the crash of flight SE-BDY on the night between 17 and 18 September 1961 may still be available," Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

"Therefore, the secretary-general again urges all member states to disclose, declassify or otherwise make available all information they may have in their possession related to the circumstances and conditions of the crash," he said.

While no country was singled out, UN officials confirmed that Britain and the United States were rejecting requests for information on the Hammarskjold case.

The mysterious circumstances of the crash has for years fueled conspiracy theories, and the panel did ask Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, South Africa and the United States for specific information.

The 56-year-old Swedish diplomat died in the plane crash while on his way to negotiate a ceasefire for mining-rich Katanga province in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, a former Belgian colony.

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in December last year demanding that Hammarskjold's fate be cleared up once and for all.

Dujarric said Ban is "personally invested in fulfilling our duty to the distinguished former secretary-general and those who accompanied him, to endeavor to establish the facts after so many years."

The General Assembly is due to present a new draft resolution on Thursday demanding more action to shed light on the former UN chief's fate.

Buk missile brought down MH17, airspace should have been closed

DutchNews, October 13, 2015

Photo: OVV.nl

Flight MH17 was brought down by a Buk missile made by Russia, the Dutch safety board which is investigating the cause of the accident, said on Tuesday.

‘We are talking about a 9N314M missile which was fired by a Buk launcher,’ OVV chairman Tjibbe Joustra said. ‘It hit the left-hand side of the cockpit. This is why the cockpit broke off from the body of the plane.’ 

Flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was brought down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 people on board. Most were Dutch nationals. 

Joustra also said that airspace above eastern Ukraine should have been closed because of the risk to aircraft.

‘Well before the disaster there was information available which pointed to the fact that civil aviation faced dangers,’ he said. ‘But despite this information, Ukraine did not close the airspace.’ 

According to the report, 16 Ukrainian military aircraft had been shot down by rebel forces prior to the crash.

‘Not just Ukraine but airlines, other countries and international organisations did not adequately estimate the risks,’ he said. ‘No-one thought about the risk to a civilian aircraft.’ 

Victims

The report also says the three crew members in the cockpit were killed by the missile explosion instantly, and that traces of the missile were found in their bodies. 

However, it is unclear at which point the other occupants died and the possibility that some remained conscious for up to 90 seconds could not be ruled out, the report said. 

One passenger was found with an oxygen mask around their neck. The report said there is no information about how this body was found on the ground. Nor was there dna or fingerprint evidence to determine if the mask been put on by the victim. 

Responsibility

The long-awaited report, which does not state who was responsible for firing the rocket, was presented to the public at the Gilze-Rijen airbase in the early afternoon. 

Despite the international interest, journalists were not allowed to ask questions about the report’s contents, Dutch media reported. 

The investigation into who is responsible for the downing of Malaysian Airways flight MH17 will continue well into next year, a spokesman for the Dutch public prosecution service said earlier this week. 

Russia

Russia, which presented the results of its own investigation into the crash also on Tuesday, has strongly denied the Dutch claims that one of its missiles caused the crash. 

Officials from the Buk manufacturers held their own news conference in Moscow earlier on Tuesday. 

According to Ian Novikov, director of the Buk missile factory, its tests show that the plane was brought down by an older missile, a type produced in the days of the Soviet Union and used by the Ukrainian army. 

The OVV report

The wrecked fuselage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 is presented to the press during

 a presentation of the final report on the cause of its crash, at the Gilze Rijen airbase

October 13, 2015 (AFP Photo/Emmanuel Dunand)

Related Articles:

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Russia says 'serious doubts' about goal of Dutch MH17 probe: ministry

Matthew message (Channelled by Suzanne Ward, Aug 3, 2014) - (MH17)

Dutch PM pushes for UN tribunal over Ukraine MH17 crash

Mark Rutte's government is lobbying for the creation of a UN tribunal, which would prosecute suspects in downing of the Malaysian plane, officials have said. Most of the 298 victims in last year's incident were Dutch.

Deutsche Welle, 3 July 2015

A UN tribunal would give "the best guarantee of cooperation from all countries" in seeking justice, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday. The news comes only a day after Malaysia announced it would file a draft resolution calling for such a tribunal to be established.

"Based on all insights, information and advice, we say this is by far the most-preferred route. We do have a back-up plan, but a UN tribunal is our best option," said Rutte, stating the official stance of his government in the Netherlands for the first time.

Flight MH17 was likely shot down over Ukraine battlefields last year, sparking international outrage. Authorities in Kyiv and the pro-Russian rebels still trade accusations on who might have fired the alleged missile which hit the civilian plane.

The incident, which killed 298, also raised the stakes in the stand-off between Russia and the West, with each supporting a narrative compatible with their own interests.

'More questions' than answers

The MH17 crash is being investigated by a team of international experts from the Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia, Ukraine and Belgium. Although no suspects have been named yet, the team recently announced it is looking into several people including potential "decision-makers as well as perpetrators."

On Thursday, a Russian aviation official criticized a draft report by the Dutch Safety Board, saying it "raises more questions than it gives answers." The confidential report was made available to representatives of Malaysia, Ukraine, the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Netherlands in early June.

Malaysian idea open to consideration

Russian representatives criticized the Malaysian initiative on Thursday, with Deputy Foreign Minister Gennadiy Gatilov calling it "not timely, and counterproductive." However, Russia did not raise formal objections after Malaysia presented its case in the UN Security Council.

"Our sense was that all council members, including Russia, were open to further consider the matter," said Malaysian diplomat Johan Ariff Abdul Razak.

dj/msh (AP, Reuters, AFP)

Related Article:

Matthew message (Channelled by Suzanne Ward, Aug 3, 2014) - (MH17)

Beijing to earmark RMB500bn for Belt and Road aviation projects

Want Chine Times, Staff Reporter 2015-06-30

Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport in Gansu province. (Photo/Xinhua)

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) will earmark up to 500 billion yuan (US$80 billion) for 193 large and medium aviation development projects by the end of this year to improve air connectivity with economies covered by the government's "Belt and Road" initiatives, Guangzhou's 21st Century Business Herald reports, citing CAAC director Li Jiaxiang.

At the opening session of the China Civil Aviation Development Forum held June 24-25 in Beijing, Li said that in addition to enhancing the development of international aviation hubs in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, the government will move to build regional air hubs in Xi'an, Urumqi, Nanning, Kunming and Xiamen in line with the Belt and Road plans. There are now a total of 15 new airports under construction or set to be built in provinces or regions along the New Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, in addition to another 28 airports under expansion, Li added.

The 500 billion yuan civil aviation investment for 2015 represents a drastic increase over the corresponding figures of 68.77 billion yuan (US$11.06 billion) in 2011, 146.46 billion yuan (US$23.57 billion) in 2012, and 145.22 billion yuan (US$23.37 billion) in 2013, due mainly to a total budget of 200 billion yuan (US$32.19 billion) to support 51 strategic investment projects directly serving the Belt and Road initiatives, including airports, airlines and air traffic control facilities, according to CAAC statistics.

Although Li didn't reveal details of how the huge investment fund will be used, the paper said that construction of new airports and the expansion of existing airports will account for the lion's share of the investment fund. This year, the National Development and Reform Commission has approved a budget of 80 billion yuan (US$12.87 billion) for a new airport in Beijing, Beijing Daxing International Airport, and another 69.2 billion yuan (US$9.52 billion) for a new international airport in Chengdu in Sichuan province. These two projects will account for 30% of the 500 billion yuan budget.

In addition, airports in Guangzhou, Chongqing, Haikou, Xi'an, Lanzhou, Changsha and Qingdao are undertaking expansion projects each costing billions of yuan, mainly for the construction of new runways or new terminal buildings, the paper said.

Construction of new minor regional airports is also underway, including in Shache and Ruoqiang in Xinjiang autonomous region, Wudalianchi in Helongjiang province, Ulanqab in Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Longnan in Gansu province, Renhuai in Guizhou province, Lancang in Yunnan province, and Guoluo in Qinghai province, estimated to cost over 10 billion yuan (US$1.6 billion) in total.

Besides fueling investment in aviation infrastructure projects, the Belt and Road initiatives will also expand business opportunities for the aviation industry, according to Li. He said that China now boasts the world's second-largest air transportation system, as it has 52 airlines, 202 airports and 533 international flight routes linking 48 cities in China, laying a solid foundation for the country's aviation industry to further internationalize.

CAAC statistics indicated that China's international airline firms launched 131 new international routes in 2014 and plan to add 83 more this summer and autumn. On another front, countries along the Belt and Road initiatives will open 24 new flight routes to China this year, with four countries to operate flights to China for the first time ever.

Li Keqiang gives a press conference at the EU-China Summit in

Brussels, June 30. (Photo/CNS)

Related Article:

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M503 route a path of peace: TAO chief

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2015-03-06

Zhang Zhijun talks to the press. (Photo/CNS)

Zhang Zhijun, minister of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said the M503 flight route that goes along the Taiwan Strait's median line is a path of peace between Taiwan and China, but refused to reveal when the route will be implemented, reports our Chinese-language sister paper Want Daily.

During a press conference with reporters on Thursday, the official said the route will only be used by civilian aircraft and is set up to resolve the problem of crowded airspace around the Yangtze and Pearl River deltas. The aircraft will fly closer to China and within the Shanghai Flight Information Region, said Zhang, who added that the International Civil Aviation Organization has approved the route and assigned a code for it.

He said Taiwanese and Chinese officials reached an initial agreement over the issue on March 2 in Shanghai, when Chinese authorities agreed to a delay in the adoption of the M503 route and the three feeder routes W121, W122 and W123. W121 connects with Dongshan, W122 connects with Fuzhou, and W123 with Xiamen.

Zhang said the route will be a good thing for both Taiwanese and Chinese travelers and that commentators should not read too much into the politics of it.

In January, China declared the plan to launch the north-south M503 route without consultation with Taiwan along with the three other east-west feeder routes, which immediately drew protest from the Taiwanese government.

Related Article:

Archangel Michael: Peace on Earth is Not a Dream

Pope Francis flies through China's airspace on way to South Korea

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2014-08-14

Pope Francis. (Photo/CFP)

Pope Francis flew over China on his way to South Korea on Thursday, in what China's nationalistic Global Times saw as a sign that Beijing's relations with the Vatican are set to improve.

When the late John Paul II made papal visits to South Korea in 1984 and 1989, the Chinese government refused on both occasions to allow the pontiff to travel through Chinese airspace, as the Holy See maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Pope Francis was welcomed on landing in Seoul by President Park Geun-hye. He is expected to beatify Korean martyrs, celebrate the 6th Asian Youth Day and say a mass for peace during his five-day visit.

Website News Korea said the pope may also meet surviving "comfort women" who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II. This would add significant pressure to the Abe government which has sought to downplay the scale of Japanese atrocities in mainland Asia in the first half of he 20th century.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the pope's secretary of state, said the Holy See hopes to improve its relations with China and hopes the two sides can conduct out a mutually respectful and constructive dialogue to find a solution for Catholics in China. A key point of contention is Beijing's refusal to allow the Vatican to appoint bishops, while the Vatican reserves the right not to recognize bishops appointed by the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, the state-supervised church.

Pope Francis has made friendly overtures to China, sending a congratulatory telegram to Xi Jinping when he was appointed president in March last year. Pope Francis told Italian media in March this year that he sent the telegram when he had only been pope for three days and Xi replied.

The stumbling blocks in Sino-Vatican relations are the appointment of bishops, the Vatican's diplomatic ties with Taiwan and canonization, said Kong Chenyan, assistant professor at the Zhejiang Institute of Socialism. The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association established by the country's Religious Affairs Bureau has appointed 70 bishops to represent around 5.3 million Catholics in the country, and rejects any challenge to its authority from the Holy See.

Kong said Pope Francis' visit is significant since it is the first papal visit to Asia in nearly 20 years, after John Paul II traveled to the Philippines in 1995. South Korea has reportedly seen a surge in the number of Catholics in recent years.

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