China’s defense ministry has been addressing the international reaction to the new East China Sea air defense identification zone.
The ministry says the zone does not signify an expansion of China’s territorial air space but rather it helps to improve effective safeguarding of the area.
The Ministry of National Defense held a press conference on Thursday, in the wake of some strong reaction to the zone from outside China.
More exercises in the East China Sea. More training missions for China’s first aircraft carrier — the Liaoning.
And now, in a bid to strengthen control and monitoring of the area, the People’s Liberation Army is shifting its focus from sea to air.
“The purpose of East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone, is to safeguard territorial and airspace security. It’s also a necessary measure to effectively exercise China’s right of self defense,” said Yang Yujun, Spokesman of Chinese Defense Ministry.
China announced its new Air Defense Identification Zone on Saturday. But it overlaps with a similar zone operated by Japan for several decades.
And crucially, both zones cover the disputed Diaoyu islands. The army says the key purpose of the zone is purely to identify foreign aircraft.
“The identification zone is not a territorial airspace. It’s an area demarcated outside territorial airspace, and to establish an early warning mechanism and ensure our air security. It does not mean the expansion of territorial air space; it helps to improve the effectiveness of safeguarding China’s territorial airspace,” said Yang.
The ministry says the new zone is designed to identify, monitor, control and react, based on each situation and any potential threat.
But it IS believed that the new zone provides a legal basis for military activities around the Diaoyu Islands.
The situation over the Diaoyu islands worsened when the Mayor of Tokyo wanted to purchase the islands and unilaterally change the status quo a year ago.
The air defense zone is yet another counter measure taken by China to get better control over the territory. The consequence of this new measure is closely watched by all sides, and tension in the East China Sea could continue to rise in the future.
Source: Xinhua
