U.S. urges China to lower tensions over air defence zone

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Beijing and began his two-day tour to China on Wednesday. Meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the day, Biden discussed disputes among Korea, China and Japan over China’s defining of new Air Defense Identification Zone in East China Sea.

Biden, who is visiting China at the invitation of China’s first Deputy Prime Minister Li Yuanchao, arrived in Beijing Capital International Airport with his granddaughter Finnegan at 11:45 a.m. on the day (local time). When he met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his visit to Japan from Monday to Wednesday, the U.S. vice president said, “The U.S. is seriously concerned about China’s attempt to unilaterally change current order in East China Sea.” As such, Biden is expected to convey the U.S. and Japan’s views on China’s ADIZ to President Xi in whatever form.

However, Washington seems to be adjusting the intensity of its pressure on China from its original stance as evidenced by its instruction to its air carriers to inform Beijing of their flight schedules. Marie Harf, U.S. State Department spokesperson, said that the U.S.’ stance on China’s ADIZ is to demand Beijing to not implement it, adding “Vice President Biden will convey the U.S.’ stance to the Chinese side.” This stance is less strong that the statements the previous day issued by the White House and the State Department saying that China should withdraw ADIZ, and is apparently related to Biden’s message urging China and Japan to hold dialogue in his meeting with Prime Minister Abe.

Chinese media organizations also noted that Biden did not adopt a joint statement with Japan the previous day, and did not directly addressed the ADIZ issue. State-run China Radio International said, “Keeping strategic balance is the biggest concern of the U.S.,” predicting that Washington will maintain appropriate distances between China and Japan. The China Daily, state-run English newspaper, also said “Again, our timely visitor needs to be told: It is Japan that has unilaterally changed the status quo.”

In addition to ADIZ, Vice President Biden will also likely discuss a new form of relationship between world powers, which is China’s new foreign policy, and the country’s external policy that was discussed at the third general meeting of the Communist Party of China’s 18th Central Committee. Biden will leave China on Thursday and visit Korea, the final leg of his Asian tour.