China deployed some of its most advance fighter jets to carry out a patrol through the newly set up Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ), officials said on Thursday, even as Japan and South Korea dispatched their own aircraft in defiance of the Chinese move to enforce its control over the area.
Planes from the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) air force conducted “normal air patrols”, Shen Jinke, a spokesperson for the airforce said late on Thursday.
He described the deployment as “a defensive measure and in line with international common practices”.
The airforce would “remain on high alert and will take measures to deal with diverse air threats to firmly protect the security of the country's airspace”, the official Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.
In recent days, the U.S., South Korea and Japan have all carried out air patrols through the zone, which was established by China on Saturday. China has said that it would track aircraft through the zone and, if needed, take “emergency” defensive measures if aircraft did not notify authorities of their flight plans in advance.
China has, however, responded cautiously to the deployments by the three countries, saying all aircraft would be “identified” by their defence forces. China did not appear to take further action to respond to the patrols by the three countries.
Keywords: Air Defence Identification Zone, East China Sea row, China Air Defence Identification Zone, Diaoyu/Senkaku islands, air patrols
