China’s Creation Of Air Defense ID Zone In East China Sea Raises Concerns In Tokyo And US

China’s announcement on Saturday that it has created an Air Defense Identification Zone in the East China Sea — including airspace over a small group of islands claimed by both China and Japan — has prompted serious concerns and sharply worded protests from Washington and Tokyo.  

The Chinese action ratchets up tension in the dispute between China and Japan over sovereignty of the islands known as ‘Diaoyu’ in Chinese and ‘Senkaku’ in Japanese.   New rules issued by China require all aircraft flying through the vast Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) to notify China and to obey orders of Chinese officials. The Chinese Ministry of National Defense warned: “China’s armed forces will adopt defensive emergency measures to respond to aircraft that do not cooperate in the identification or refuse to follow the instructions.” 

To read the full op-ed, click here.

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This op-ed first appeared in the International Business Times on Nov. 25, 2013

Photo credit: U.S. Pacific Fleet via flickr