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Washington vows to continue patrol flight into Beijing`s ADIZ

Washington vows to continue patrol flight into Beijing`s ADIZ

Posted December. 02, 2013 07:51,   

한국어

Three countries, including Korea, the U.S. and Japan, continued to fly their military planes into the Air Defense Identification Zone unilaterally defined by China for the third day Sunday. After having their military aircraft launch simultaneously for the first time Friday, the three nations reportedly continued to have their military planes make emergency sorties through Sunday.

The U.S. is set to continuously deny China’s claim of ADIZ and have its military airplanes make sorties going forward. Steve Warren, a spokesman for the U.S. Defense Department, said that the U.S. has been flying planes in the area, and will continue flight as in ordinary times going forward, and that such flying activities comply with "free navigation policy" that the U.S. has maintained for long time.

Citing an unidentified Pentagon official, Bloomberg News reported Friday that the U.S. is having its military aircraft make sorties into China’s ADIZ daily without giving advance notice.

However, the U.S. State Department recommended its civilian carriers on Friday to inform the Chinese government of the schedule of their flights that pass through China’s ADIZ. In a statement on the day, the State Department said that the move does not mean that the U.S. government accepted China’s demand, and is a measure taken to ensure passengers’ safety. The Japanese government, which blocked its civilian air carriers from informing China of flight schedules, is embarrassed at Washington’s decision. Japan`s Yomiuri Daily said on Sunday, “Responses in civilian flights by the U.S. and Japan are being divided.”

“We are not informing Chinese authorities of our flight schedules,” Korean air carriers said. “We will follow instruction by the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry.”

With tensions over ADIZ mounting, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will visit Japan on Monday, China on Wednesday, and Korea on Friday in succession.

Yomiuri said, “After Vice President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hold talks on Tuesday, they will announce an agreement demanding China to withdraw its ADIZ.” In a separate move, the Japanese government proposed at the International Civil Aviation Organization’s board meeting in Montreal, Canada on Friday to adopt ways to China’s designation of ADIZ as an agenda for its next meeting. The U.S., Britain, and Australia supported the proposal, with China opposed.

Despite pressure by the U.S. and Japan, China remains hardheaded in its stance towards its ADIZ. “China has no intention to withdraw its ADIZ,” said Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua in an interview with Japan`s daily Asahi Shimbun on Saturday. Mindful of a possible accident clash, however, Cheng added, “It is necessary for the Chinese and Japanese commanders to establish a hotline, and construct a system for communications between pilots.”