Update | China weighs in on possible air defence zone in South China Sea as key security dialogue ends
US, China tone down rhetoric after more hostile exchanges last year
China will make a decision on establishing an air defence identification zone around disputed waters in the South China Sea based on its assessment of the security situation, a senior Chinese military official said today.
Land reclamation work by China around disputed islands has led to speculation it will declare an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ), which will require aircraft flying within the zone to identify themselves to Chinese authorities. The United States has expressed concern that China’s actions threaten the freedom of navigation and security in the Asia-Pacific.
Admiral Sun Jianguo, a deputy chief of staff of the People’s Liberation Army, told the regional security forum Shangri-La Dialogue that China’s actions are peaceful and legitimate, calling on other countries to stop trying to “sow discord” over the matter.
“There is no reason for people to play up this issue in the South China Sea,” Sun said at the event in Singapore, adding that an ADIZ depended on any threats to air or maritime security.
He rebuffed US Defence Secretary Ash Carter's comments yesterday that China’s construction projects in the waters raised the risk of “miscalculation or conflict”, but refrained from answering several questions on the issue.
