China has established its first air defense identification zone according to Chinese law and international practices to safeguard its sovereignty, the Ministry of National Defense announced on Saturday.
The move allows early-warning time and helps China protect its sovereignty and territories, and guarantee regional air security, officials and analysts said.
An air defense identification zone is a defensive area of airspace established by a coastal state beyond its territorial airspace, explained Wang Ji, a Chinese expert on domestic and international law from an establishment affiliated with China’s air force.
It is used to spot, monitor, control and react in a timely manner to aircraft entering this zone which might be potential air threats, Wang said.
The East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone includes the airspace throughout the area enclosed by the outer limit of China’s territorial waters and 6 other points.
People’s Liberation Army air force spokesman Shen Jinke said two scouting planes have completed the zone’s first patrol with the support of surveillance and fighters.
The military is in a position to effectively controlling the zone, Shen said. This can not influence international airlines’ flights, he said.
The zone was created to safeguard China’ sovereignty, territory and security while maintaining flight order, Ministry of National Defense spokesman Yang Yujun said.
“This is an essential measure China has taken to exercise its right to self-defense,” Yang said. “It isn’t directed against any specific country or target. It would not affect the liberty of flights within the airspace.”
He emphasized China has always respected the liberty of flights in response to international law. The zone’s establishment doesn’t change the legal nature of the related airspace, and normal flights by international airlines isn’t affected.
“The zone’s founding has adequate legal basis,” Wang said. “China’s domestic laws and regulations, akin to the Law of the PRC on National Defense, the Law of PRC on Civil Aviation and Basic Rules on Flight, also clearly stipulate the upkeep of territorial land, air security and flight order.”
It also is according to the United Nations Charter to exercise the precise to self-defense, he added.
Naval Military Academic Institute researcher Zhang Junshe said: “The zone shows China’s resolve and backbone to defend its national sovereignty. It is able to also help maintain flight security within the region and avoid air accidents. It’s based on current international practice.”
Since the 1950s, greater than 20 countries, including the usa, Canada and China’s neighboring countries, comparable to Japan and South Korea, have successively established air defense identification zones.
On Saturday, the ministry also issued the Aircraft Identification Rules for the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone, which states aircraft flying within the zone must abide by these rules and supply identification, including flight plans, radio contact, transponders and emblems.
The regulations also require aircraft within the zone to follow the instructions of the zone’s administrative organ or the unit authorized by the organ.
China’s military will adopt defensive emergency measures to answer aircraft that don’t cooperate within the identification or refuse to follow the instructions, it said.
“We hope all parties concerned work actively with the Chinese side to jointly maintain flight safety,” Yang from the ministry said.
The scope of the zone covers China’s Diaoyu Islands and is found 130 km from Japan’s territory. It overlaps with Japan’s air defense identification zone.
The zone isn’t like territory and, therefore, doesn’t infringe upon other countries’ sovereignty, Zhang said.
“The zone’s coverage area is dependent upon China’s need for air defense and flight order,” said Yang, the ministry spokesman.
“The easternmost point of the zone is basically so almost China that combat aircraft can quickly reach China’s territorial airspace from it.
“It is important for China to spot any aircraft from this point to evaluate its intentions and think about its identifiers with the intention to allow enough early-warning time for responsive measures to keep air security.”
China will establish other air defense identification zones on the right time after necessary preparations are completed, Yang said.
Later on Saturday, Junichi Ihara, director general of the Asian and Oceanic Affairs Bureau with Japan’s Foreign Ministry, lodged representations to China’s acting ambassador to Japan, Han Zhiqiang, since the zone includes the Diaoyu Islands.
Japan also claims the islands.
But Zhang said Japan’s representations are meaningless for the reason that islands belong to China.
Officials of Japan’s Ministry of Defense held a gathering and vowed to bolster surveillance over China, reported China Central Television.
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