US warns China over air defense zone in East Sea

The US has warned that it will consider any act of China establishing an air defense identification zone in the East Sea as "provocative and destabilizing behavior".

China illegally reclaims and builds an airstrip on Cross Reef, Truong Sa archipelago of Vietnam. Photo: Reuters

During a visit to Mongolia yesterday, US Secretary of State John Kerry warned that Washington would consider any action by China to establish an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in the East Sea as "provocative and destabilizing behavior", according to Reuters.

US officials are concerned that the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands (PCA) in the Philippines' lawsuit against China will prompt Beijing to declare an ADIZ in the East Sea.

"We will view this as a move that raises tensions in the region and will seriously question China's previous statements that it would resolve disputes diplomatically," Mr. Kerry said. After concluding his trip to Mongolia, Mr. Kerry will travel to China.

At the Shangri-la Dialogue held in Singapore, China neither confirmed nor denied the ADIZ in the East Sea, saying it would consider the issue depending on the situation.

In 2013, China faced strong criticism from the US and Japan when it unilaterally established an air defense identification zone in the East China Sea, where the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands are located, which Beijing and Tokyo both claim sovereignty over.

The East Sea is one of the busiest shipping routes in the world, with trillions of dollars worth of goods passing through it every year. China arbitrarily drew the nine-dash line, unreasonably claiming sovereignty over almost the entire area of ​​the East Sea, including the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa archipelagos under Vietnam's sovereignty.

According to VNE