China and South Korea open new lines of communication to cut the chance of a military mishap

Hotlines will link South Korean navy and air force with counterparts in PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command
In December, Seoul said it scrambled fighter jets after Chinese and Russian planes entered its air defence identification zone

North Korea

Laura Zhou

Published: 6:58pm, 3 Mar 2021

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China and South Korea have expanded their military hotlines to avoid a potential miscalculation, their defence ministries announced as the two neighbours moved to repair bilateral ties amid a looming Sino-US rivalry.

Two new hotlines were established as part of a revised memorandum of understanding signed on Tuesday between the two defence ministries, the Chinese defence ministry said.

China’s first direct telephone line for frontline troops in the Chinese and foreign armies “could play a positive role in avoiding misunderstandings and misjudgments and strengthening crisis control among the frontline troops of China and South Korea at sea and in the air”, the statement said.

China and South Korea have three existing hotlines between the defence ministries and the navies and air forces of South Korea and the People’s Liberation Army Northern Theatre Command, which shares borders with North Korea, Russia and Mongolia.

According to Yonhap news agency, the new direct lines would link the navies and air forces of South Korea and the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command, which oversees the East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

“[The new hotlines] will help enhance the communication between the South Korean and the Chinese military authorities, which is expected to prevent accidental clashes in the air and the sea and to bring trust one notch higher,” South Korea’s defence ministry said in a statement.

“The move will also help ease tensions and establish peace in the Korean peninsula and the region.”

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The new hotlines come after officials from US President Joe Biden’s administration have sought to reassure Asian allies, including South Korea, of its regional commitment.

They also come as military tensions between China and South Korea have intensified at times since 2019 after China and Russia deployed fighter jets to what Seoul deems its air defence identification zone (ADIZ).

In a recent intrusion in December, South Korea said it had scrambled fighter jets after four Chinese warplanes, followed by 15 Russian aircraft, entered South Korea’s ADIZ. Beijing said the bombers were part of a “joint patrol” with Russian Tu-95 aircraft, and denied the warplanes had ever entered South Korean airspace.

Song Zhongping, a Hong Kong-based military commentator and former PLA instructor, said the new telephone lines were necessary to reduce tensions between China and South Korea, which were at odds over China’s establishment of an ADIZ in the East China Sea, which also covers the disputed Socotra Rock, known as Suyan in China and Ieodo in South Korea.

An ADIZ, which is not covered by international treaties, is declared by a state for the early identification and location of foreign planes approaching its territorial airspace.

“The so-called defensive circle of South Korea spans from China’s Northern and Eastern theatre commands, which means it’s necessary to establish direct telephone lines that could facilitate communications over sensitive issues such as ADIZ and maritime disputes, to resolve disputes and reduce miscalculation,” Song said.

Military ties between the two neighbours were strained in 2017 after Seoul deployed a US-led missile defence system known as THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence), which Beijing deemed a security threat.

Beijing has long been wary of Seoul’s alliance with the US, which is expected to play an important role in Washington’s efforts to contain China under the Biden administration.

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