The US Puts Its Interests First After All

Lately China has defined its “East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone.” Aircraft flying through the zone should report their flight plans to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Civil Aviation Administration of China. As for aircraft that do not cooperate in the identification process or refuse to follow instructions, China will adopt emergency defensive measures. This declaration undoubtedly shows that this is China’s first move in solving the East China Sea dispute, forcing each of the countries involved back to the negotiating table.

Following the creation of the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone, the U.S. immediately sent out two unarmed B-52 bombers to the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone that China defined, apparently disregarding the unilateral declaration by China, with a strong tinge of opposition. But I think that this opposition by the U.S. will undoubtedly not last long, one reason being that the U.S. does not have any more economic power to throw into another military stand-off. Opposition to it is not in the United States’ main interests — and China knows this, which is why it has boldly taken this step in hopes of solving this long-running dispute.

I think that although the U.S. and Japan have the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between them, asking the U.S. to devote excessive resources for the Diaoyu Islands is without a doubt ridiculous. America’s main interest is to maintain the current situation in the East China Sea, so as to achieve its strategic goals in the region.

As for the U.S. government, after the creation of the Air Defense Identification Zone, it recommended that American commercial airliners follow China’s latest aviation regulations, such as reporting their flight plans to China when passing through the aforementioned Air Defense Identification Zone. This also proves that the U.S. is unwilling to escalate the stand-off and has unofficially recognized China’s rights in the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone. The U.S. is a country that puts its interests first after all; if Japan thinks that the U.S. will side with it and oppose China together just because China created the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone, then it may be sorely mistaken in assessing the situation.