China is considering declaring a new air defense identification zone over the South China Sea, according to a Japanese report yesterday, a move likely to fan tensions in an area riven by territorial disputes.
The report comes months after Beijing caused consternation with the sudden declaration of an air defense identification zone above the East China Sea, covering islands at the center of a sovereignty row with Tokyo.
It also comes as countries in the region grow increasingly concerned about what they see as China’s aggressive territorial claims.
Working-level officials in the Chinese air force have drafted proposals for the new zone, which could set the Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands, 西沙群島), also claimed by Taiwan, at its core and spread over much of the sea, the Asahi Shimbun said, citing unnamed sources, including from the Chinese government.
The draft was submitted to senior Chinese military officials by May last year, the daily said.
Beijing claims the South China Sea almost in its entirety, even areas a long way from its shoreline.
The countries surrounding the sea have competing and overlapping claims to the area and are in dispute with Beijing, including over the ownership of islands.
The draft says the zone would at a minimum cover the Paracels, and could go as wide as the majority of the South China Sea, the newspaper said.
Beijing is still deliberating the extent of the zone and considering the timing of an announcement, the paper said.
Japan, South Korea and others reacted with anger in November last year when Beijing unilaterally declared an air defense identification zone in the East China Sea.
China demanded that all aircraft provide flight plans when traversing the area, give their nationality and maintain two-way radio communication, or face “emergency defensive measures.”
The US said it would not comply, and, in what was seen as a challenge to Beijing, promptly flew military planes through it.
The zone covers the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台列嶼) claimed by Taiwan, China and Japan — where they are known as the Senkakus.
Beijing’s sudden declaration bolstered claims that China is throwing its growing military weight around. Observers say the establishment of a similar zone in the South China Sea is a likely move for Beijing.
In November last year China’s Hainan Province passed a rule requiring foreign fishing vessels to obtain permission to enter its waters, which it defined as 2 million square kilometers of the sea’s 3.5 million square kilometers. That rule took effect at the beginning of this year, drawing protests from the US, the Philippines and Vietnam.
China announced last month that it would base a 5,000-tonne civilian patrol ship on Woody Island (永興島, Yongxing Island) in the Paracels and begin regular patrols.
In December last year, US Secretary of State John Kerry warned China against any move to declare an air defense zone over the South China Sea.
Additional reporting by staff writer
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
UNPRECEDENTED: In addition to the approved recall motions, cases such as Ma Wen-chun’s in Nantou are still under review, while others lack enough signatures The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced yesterday that a recall vote would take place on July 26, after it approved the first batch of recall motions targeting 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安). Taiwan is in the midst of an unprecedented wave of mass recall campaigns, following a civil society push that echoed a call made by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) in January to initiate signature drives aimed at unseating KMT legislators. Under the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), Taiwanese can initiate a recall of district-elected lawmakers by collecting
RSS