China sends warplanes into disputed air defense zone

China said it sent warplanes into its newly declared maritime air defense zone days after the U.S., South Korea and Japan all sent flights through the airspace in broadening defiance of rules Beijing says it has imposed over the East China Sea. ● China's air force on Thursday sent several fighter jets and an early warning aircraft on normal air patrols in the zone, the Xinhua agency reported, citing air force spokesman Shen Jinke. The report did not specify exactly when the flights were sent or whether they had encountered foreign military aircraft. The United States, Japan and South Korea have said they have sent military or coast guard flights through the zone without encountering any Chinese response since Beijing announced its creation last week. Shen described Thursday's flights as "a defensive measure and in line with international common practices." He said China's air force would remain on high alert and will take measures to protect the country's airspace. Chinese officials have said commercial flights are unaffected by the new rules.

Japan is ‘prime target’ in China's new air zone: state media

Mark Valencia: Time to regulate air defence zones to prevent conflict ■ From China's perspective, it was simply "levelling the playing field". China has a "right" by international precedent and practice to declare an air defence identification zone to protect its sovereignty over territory and the maritime areas it claims. Moreover, China said the zone rules would not affect normal commercial air traffic, implying that it applies to military aircraft only. [...] The US has five air defence identification zones around North America, including a large one off Alaska and the Aleutian Islands extending several hundreds of kilometres out to sea. In this zone, both foreign civilian and military aircraft are monitored and interrogated. The US zone is jointly administered by civilian air traffic control authorities and the North American Aerospace Defence Command. The US requires any aircraft entering its zone to radio its planned course and destination. Any aircraft in this zone without authorisation may be treated as a threat, potentially leading to interception by fighter aircraft.

John Chan: Tensions escalate over Chinese air defence zone ■ China’s declaration of an ADIZ last weekend was a calculated attempt to challenge Japanese control over the disputed islets, as well as Washington’s backing for Tokyo. It was also aimed against the frequent US military reconnaissance in waters and airspace just off the Chinese mainland. Asia in 2013 is increasingly resembling Europe in 1913. The global crisis of capitalism is greatly exacerbating the tensions between the rival powers that erupted in the barbarism of World War I.