A Chinese Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the South China Sea would ratchet up regional tensions and be ignored by U.S. forces, said the head of the U.S. military forces in the Pacific during a press conference at the Pentagon on Thursday.
Adm. Harry Harris, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, is concerned Beijing would declare an ADIZ over its disputed holdings like it did over the East China Sea in 2013.
“I’m concerned, in the sense that I would find that destabilizing and provocative,” he said.
“We would ignore it, just like we’ve ignored the ADIZ that they’ve put in place in the East China Sea… Secretary [of State] Kerry asked China to not declare an ADIZ [over the South China Sea].”
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Update: Pacific Commander Warns China Not to Impose New Air Defense Zone (Washington Free Beacon)
WNU Editor: China is going to impose a Chinese South China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone .... the only question that still needs to be answered is "when".
A Chinese Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the South China Sea would ratchet up regional tensions? Actually the ADIZ concept was dreamed up by the U.S. to reduce risk.
ReplyDeleteAn ADIZ is a publicly defined area extending beyond national territory in which unidentified aircraft are liable to be interrogated and, if necessary, intercepted for identification before they cross into sovereign airspace. The concept is a product of the Cold War: in the 1950s, the United States declared the world’s first ADIZs to reduce the risk of a surprise attack from the Soviet Union. Today, the United States has five zones (East Coast, West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam) and operates two more jointly with Canada. Other countries that maintain ADIZs include India, Japan, Norway, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.
But can China do what the U.S. and others have done? No, says Admiral Harry Harris.
One day this is going to come to a head. Hopefully later than sooner. I suspect China will test the US early. They probably won't shoot at the US planes, but they will probably fly agressively around them. A collision will cause a pointing of fingers and threats. What happens after that point is the problem. China is modernizing there air and anti air abilities. It's only a matter of time before they start to feel confident enough to challenge the US and local allies so close to China. My real concern is the Navy sailing through the area. I suspect the Chinese will intercept these ships and probably become agressive there as well. I believe China will want some cover and use so called civilian vessels to collide with the US Navy and see if they can cause a live fire incident and then protest the need for the zone to the UN. This could get hot fast.
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