South China Sea: Beijing ‘doesn’t want to upset neighbours’ with air defence identification zone

Name: Washington’s hardened position on Beijing’s claims in South China Sea heightens US-China tensions
Uploaded: 2020-11-24T23:00:17.000Z
Duration: 2 min 32 s
Description: Washington’s hardened position on Beijing’s claims in South China Sea heightens US-China tensions

Think tank commentary says perception that ADIZ will be declared is ‘misinterpretation’

Situation is ‘complicated’ and China doesn’t see the need to make such a controversial move, according to analysts

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PLA warplanes have entered Taiwan’s air defence zone in recent months, and Beijing may be considering an ADIZ near the self-ruled island, according to an observer. Photo: EPA-EFE/Taiwanese defence ministry

Minnie Chan

Published: 7:00am, 25 Nov 2020Updated: 5:22pm, 26 Nov 2020

Corrected [11:21am, 26 Nov, 2020]

[11:21am, 26 Nov, 2020]
This article has been updated to reflect the official translation of the commentary by Chang Ching

Beijing is unlikely to declare an air defence identification zone in the South China Sea in the next few years because it is too “complicated”, but it may happen if the situation changes, according to a Chinese think tank and analysts.

In a commentary released on Monday, the Beijing-based SCS Strategic Situation Probing Initiative said the international community’s perception that China would set up an ADIZ over the disputed waters – as it did in the East China Sea seven years ago – was a “misinterpretation”.

The guest commentary by Chang Ching, a research fellow at the Society for Strategic Studies in Taipei, said even though the US had stepped up military activities in the area in recent years, China had no need to respond by declaring an ADIZ.

“In comparison with the situation of insufficient coverage extending seaward provided by the flight information region in the East China Sea, the airspace coverage provided by the Hong Kong flight information region and the Sanya flight information region under the Chinese civil aviation administrative system in the South China Sea is sufficient to support the depth needed for air defence target identification and classification operations,” he wrote.

But, if the level and intensity of foreign military aviation activities continued to grow and purposely approached airspace not covered by the Hong Kong and Sanya flight information regions, the People’s Liberation Army may fail to filter civil aviation activities, and Beijing may establish an ADIZ in the South China Sea, Chang said.

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Washington’s hardened position on Beijing’s claims in South China Sea heightens US-China tensions

An air defence identification zone is airspace over a typically undisputed area of land or water in which the monitoring and control of aircraft is performed in the interests of national security. While many countries have them, the concept is not defined or regulated by any international treaty or agency.