China Sends Warplanes to New Air Defense Zone After U.S., Japan, S. Korea Incursions
Simon Denyer and Chico Harlan, “China Sends Warplanes to New Air Defense Zone After U.S., Japan, S. Korea Incursions,” Washington Post, 28 November 2013.
BEIJING — China said Thursday that it had sent warplanes to patrol its newly declared maritime air defense identification zone, as a dispute over an island chain ratcheted up into a dangerous regional standoff.
The move came after Japan and South Korea said Thursday that they had sent surveillance aircraft of their own into the area in the East China Sea. The United States has joined many of China’s neighbors in condemning the decision last week to establish the zone and defied Beijing by flying two B-52 bombers through the area Tuesday. …
“Thus far, Beijing has defined its new ADIZ in a categorical manner that ignores the complexities and risks involved,” said Andrew Erickson, an associate professor at the U.S. Naval War College.
“It is to be hoped that Beijing will choose to exercise restraint and allay concerns by its neighbors and other users of the international airspace in question by offering specific clarifications and reassurances,” Erickson said. “Otherwise, suspicions will grow that the ‘new type of great power relations’ Beijing promotes is merely intended to signal that others should yield to a rising China’s principled positions.” …
For other recent analysis, see Andrew S. Erickson, “Watch This Space: China’s New Air Defense Zone,” China Real Time Report (中国实时报), Wall Street Journal, 25 November 2013.
Official Chinese announcements and top American analysis of China and ADIZ issues is available here.
