Beijing ready to impose air defence identification zone in South China Sea pending US moves
US military presence and ties with neighbours to influence timing of a declaration, source says
China is preparing an air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in the South China Sea, two years after it announced a similar one in the East China Sea, according to sources close to the People’s Liberation Army and a defence report.
But one source said the timing of any declaration would depend on security conditions in the region, particularly the United States’ military presence and diplomatic ties with neighbouring countries.
“If the US military keeps making provocative moves to challenge China’s sovereignty in the region, it will give Beijing a good opportunity to declare an ADIZ in the South China Sea,” the source said.
The revelation came ahead of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, a security forum attended by defence officials from various nations, including Admiral Sun Jianguo and US Secretary of Defence Ash Carter. Disputes in the South China Sea are expected to head the agenda of the three-day event, which starts on Friday.
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Top Chinese and US officials will also meet next week for their annual strategic and economic dialogue in Beijing.
It will depend on whether China is facing security threats from the air, and what the level of the air safety threat is