The US has warned China against sparking tensions in international airspace after Japan accused Beijing of dangerous manoeuvres above the disputed areas in the East China Sea, known as the Diaoyu Islands in Chinese and the Senkaku Islands in Japanese.
US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki, in a statement on May 29, said Washington refuses to accept China’s declaration of an air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in the area and has urged the country not to implement it.
China needs to work with other countries to establish confidence-building measures, including emergency communications channels, which can address dangers and ease tensions, she said.
Psaki maintained that any attempt to interfere with the freedom of flights in international airspace raises regional tensions and unintended incidents. She also urged all states to ensure that they respect the safety of aircrafts in flight.
Washington’s warning came after Japan revealed that a Chinese fighter on May 25 flew within roughly 30 metres of a Japanese OP-3C surveillance plane above the waters where the countries' claims overlap.
Relations between Japan and China have been strained by a territorial dispute over the Tokyo-controlled islands in the East China Sea.
Beijing raised regional tensions in November by declaring an ADIZ covering the area, which overlaps a similar Japanese zone.-VNA
US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki, in a statement on May 29, said Washington refuses to accept China’s declaration of an air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in the area and has urged the country not to implement it.
China needs to work with other countries to establish confidence-building measures, including emergency communications channels, which can address dangers and ease tensions, she said.
Psaki maintained that any attempt to interfere with the freedom of flights in international airspace raises regional tensions and unintended incidents. She also urged all states to ensure that they respect the safety of aircrafts in flight.
Washington’s warning came after Japan revealed that a Chinese fighter on May 25 flew within roughly 30 metres of a Japanese OP-3C surveillance plane above the waters where the countries' claims overlap.
Relations between Japan and China have been strained by a territorial dispute over the Tokyo-controlled islands in the East China Sea.
Beijing raised regional tensions in November by declaring an ADIZ covering the area, which overlaps a similar Japanese zone.-VNA
