Military planes defy air defense zone rules
Print Edition
Japanese and South Korean military aircraft flew through China’s air defense zone in the East China Sea without informing Beijing, officials said yesterday.
The move came after Tokyo’s close ally Washington defied China’s demand that planes flying through its air defense zone identify themselves to Chinese authorities, flying two unarmed B-52 bombers over the Diaoyu Islands on Tuesday without informing China.
The US does not take a position on the sovereignty of the islands but recognizes Tokyo’s “administrative control” and has assured Japan that the US-Japan security pact covers them.
The developments are expected to dominate US Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Japan, China and South Korea next week.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said naval ships and patrol planes have been operating in the East China Sea and would continue to do so.
“They are carrying out surveillance activity as before in the East China Sea, including the zone,” Suga told a news conference yesterday, adding that there has been no particular response from China.
“We are not going to change this (activity) out of consideration to China,” he added.
A South Korean official also said a navy reconnaissance plane had flown over a submerged rock in the area claimed by both Beijing and Seoul, and that the flights would continue.
Asked about the South Korean flight, foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said China was aware of it.
“The East China Sea Air Defense Identification zone is not aimed at normal international flights. We hope that relevant countries’ airlines can proactively cooperate, so there is more order and safety for flights,” he told reporters.
Asked if China would heed Japanese calls to revoke the air defense zone, China’s defense ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said Japan had implemented its own zone in 1969 and blamed it for raising tensions with its double standards.
“Japan consistently blames others and smears the name of other countries but never examines its own conduct,” Yang said. “If they want it revoked, then we would ask that Japan first revoke its own air defense identification zone and China will reconsider it after 44 years.”
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