The US Must Bear the Consequences of Its Deliberate Provocation

Published in Wen Wei Po
(Hong Kong) on 28 November 2013
by Editorial (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Nathan Hsu. Edited by Mary Young.
On Nov. 26, two U.S. B-52 bombers flew a circuit along the border of China's East China Sea air defense identification zone, passing approximately 200 kilometers east of the Diaoyu Islands. China's Defense Ministry spokesman stated yesterday that the Chinese military had identified the flights immediately and monitored them in their entirety and that China was capable of effecting control over the airspace in question. U.S. aircraft entering the East China Sea air defense identification zone is a clear provocation, but it is also meant to probe China's limits. The truth of the matter is that China has been prepared to respond to such an act since demarcating the air defense zone. It is resolved and has the capability to respond to any situation. If the U.S. and Japan are incapable of accepting these events in a rational manner and instead engage in acts of deliberate provocation they must be prepared to fully bear the responsibility for, as well as consequences of, any friction or conflict.

Within an air defense identification zone, a nation enjoys the right to locate, identify and control other nations' aircraft. When U.S. planes entered the East China Sea air defense identification zone, the nature of the flights was unclear and their objective suspect, constituting a potential threat to Chinese airspace. China had the option to utilize tracking, monitoring and, in the event of an emergency, an appropriate degree of restrictive measures such as warning, expelling or intercepting the aircraft. If Chinese security was under threat, China could have defended itself in accordance with international law. During the recent incident, the Chinese military immediately identified the U.S. aircraft entering the East China Sea air defense identification zone and monitored their flight paths, sufficiently demonstrating China's ability to effect control over that airspace.

The U.S. and Canada both established air defense identification zones as early as the 1950s. South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam and other countries bordering China have also delineated such zones, joining the ranks of over 20 countries and regions who have done the same. China has waited until now to establish the East China Sea air defense identification zone as a self-defensive action adopted under the principles of equality, and it is a reasonable, legal and fair measure. The demarcation of the zone also stands as a strong response to the U.S. strategy of containing China in its "return to Asia." Ripples from increasing U.S. deployments to East and Southeast Asia have been felt in the region and have subsequently heightened tensions. The U.S. should take responsibility for the crisis in the East China Sea as well as the continuing controversy in the South China Sea.

The zone has been created in accordance with the United Nations Charter and other international laws and conventions. It is aimed at protecting China's national sovereignty and the security of its territory and airspace, and is now a fait accompli. By identifying and monitoring aircraft entering the zone, China has strengthened its control over such flights and will in fact be able to effectively reduce and prevent misunderstandings and misjudgments. It is a positive and constructive measure beneficial to both the maintenance of security within its territorial waters and sovereign airspace as well as the preservation of order for normal flights in the region; the U.S. and Japan must respect this. If the two nations engage in acts of deliberate provocation they must bear the responsibility and consequences in full.


美軍兩架B-52轟炸機26日沿中國東海防空識別區東部邊緣南北方向往返飛行,於釣魚島以東約200公里活動。中國國防部發言人昨日表示,中國軍隊對其進行了全程監視、及時識別,中方有能力對相關空域實施有效管控。美軍機進入東海防空識別區,是明顯的挑釁行為,同時也有試探中國底線的意圖。事實上,中國既然劃設東海防空識別區,就有準備應對挑釁。中國有決心有能力應對任何事件發生。如果美國、日本不能理性接受而是蓄意挑釁,一旦發生摩擦甚至衝突,必須承擔一切後果和責任。

在防空識別區內,一國對他國航空器享有定位、識別、管制的權利。美軍機進入東海防空識別區,性質不明、目的可疑,對中國領空存有潛在威脅,中國可採取跟蹤、監視,在情況緊急時,可適度採取警告、驅離或攔截等限制措施,如其威脅中國安全,可依法自衛。此次中國軍隊對美軍機進入東海防空識別區進行了全程監視、及時識別,充分顯示中方有能力對相關空域實施有效管控。

早在上世紀50年代,美國、加拿大就相繼設立防空識別區。中國周邊的韓國、日本、菲律賓、越南等國都劃設了防空識別區。目前,世界上已有20多個國家和地區設立了防空識別區。中國遲至今日才設立東海防空識別區,是按照對等原則所採取的防禦性舉措,是合理、合法、正當的。中國劃定防空識別區,顯示中國強勢應對美國「重返亞太」遏制中國的戰略 。美國重兵利器部署東亞和東南亞,導致東海、南海地區波瀾再起,加深該地區的緊張態勢,美國應該對東海危機和爭議不斷的南海局勢負責。

中國劃設東海防空識別區符合《聯合國憲章》等國際法和國際慣例,目的是捍衛中國的國家主權和領土領空安全,而且已是既成事實。中國通過對進入防空識別區的航空器進行識別管控,強化飛行管理,實際上可以有效地減少和防止誤解誤判,這既有利於維護領海領空安全,也有利於維護該地區的正常飛行秩序,是具有積極意義的建設性舉措,美日對此必須尊重。美日如果蓄意挑釁,必須承擔一切後果和責任。
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