Pakistan has banned Taiwanese airlines from using its airspace as part of its strict adherence to Beijing’s One-China policy, making it the first country to take such a step, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. “The aviation division follows the One China policy — only mainland China is allowed,” the outlet cited Defence Minister Khawaja Asif as saying. He said that Islamabad now only permitted airlines from the People’s Republic of China to fly over Pakistan, excluding Taiwan. According to flight tracking data, Taiwanese carriers began rerouting flights over the weekend, with China Airlines Ltd and Eva Airways Corp no longer flying over Pakistan since Sunday. The two carriers declined to comment to Bloomberg, while Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration did not address the rerouting. Read: FM Dar, Chinese envoy discuss CPEC, trade and regional stability Islamabad's restrictions are even stricter than those imposed by China, which allows Taiwanese airlines to fly over its territory. Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province while Taipei insists on its independence. Pakistan severed official relations with Taiwan in 1951 in support of the One-China policy. Islamabad and Beijing have bolstered ties under Beijing's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which has channelled billions of dollars into Pakistan. China is also Pakistan’s largest supplier of weapons and launched the China-Pakistan Information Corridor a day ago.