Earlier this week China asserted her territorial control in the region by identifying an air defence identification zone over what she claims is her space. Not unusual for a nation to otherwise do so, what Beijing probably didn’t expect was an international outcry over what she maintained as her territory which included the disputed Diaoyu islands.
Many nations including Japan and South Korea have maintained an air defence identification zone since several decades, wherein non commercial flights have to identify themselves, their nationality, purpose and destination if flying over the a particular nations ADIZ. Therefore not completely out of bounds in marking the ADIZ, China brewed up the perfect diplomatic storm.
Even as American, South Korean and Japanese warplanes asserted their prowess by flying over the region without informing Beijing, local publications shook their heads at Beijing’s mild respons to what was seen as a sign – both domestically and internationally of her powers of assertion in the region. The nationalistic tabloid the Global Times said in a Thursday editorial that China “failed in offering a timely and ideal response” and risked “undermin[ing] the image of our military forces”. “Chinese authorities must make speedy reactions to various emergencies and challenges,” the editorial added.
