China's bottom-line thinking will work for ADIZ
- By Su Xiaohui
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail chinausfocus.com, December 3, 2013
Recently, China announced the establishment of the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and issued new aircraft identification rules. China’s move has aroused strong reaction from a number of countries, including Japan and the US. It seems that China will cast more shadow on its relationship with neighboring countries and will be in new trouble in building the special relationship with the US.
|
|
|
For whom the bell tolls [By Gou Ben/China.org.cn] |
However, it is likely to turn out that the ADIZ works and China’s bottom-line thinking behind the zone proves to be effective.
Under the new leadership of China, bottom-line thinking has become an important pattern for China’s decision making.
One part of bottom-line thinking is to maximize the effect.
As for the ADIZ case, since a score of countries have set up their ADIZs and some of them have had ADIZs for decades, it is widely accepted that the ADIZ is different from territorial air space. Therefore, the nature of the ADIZ is not the key of the problem. What matters is that China’s zone covers Diaoyu Islands, which makes certain countries uncomfortable.
After Japan made so-called purchase of the Islands last year, China has utilized a series of countermeasure to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity. The consequence is that China has succeeded in carrying out regular patrols, which break Japan’s seizure of the Islands. Therefore, Japan has been seeking to change its disadvantageous position in the disputes with China. The country increased the deployment of forces, including air forces to fight for Diaoyu Islands.
Based on existing achievements, the establishment of the ADIZ will be another concrete step for China to strengthen the control of the territory. The current situation is that China has started to exercise the function of the ADIZ. China’s Air Forces has successfully detected and indentified US and Japanese planes entering the zone. The Air Forces responded by scrambling fighter jets to monitor the aircrafts.
Diaoyu Islands is definitely not the only driving force for announcing the ADIZ. With rapid development, it enables China to pay more attention and invest more in defending national security.
Actually, the US and Japan has been conducting frequent surveillance operations in coastal areas of China. These actions undermine China’s national security and are apt to cause accidents. The China-US plane collision in 2001 is a typical case. With the ADIZ, Chinese Air Forces will be able to maintain a status of “high alert” for potential threats and take measures to deal with the threats to China’s airspace.
The other part of the bottom-line thinking is to prepare for the worst.
Now, China faces with critics concerning the ADIZ from some countries. It is unlikely that China did not expect to encounter such pressure. The current situation should not go beyond China’s previous calculation.
China understands that there is no room to sacrifice core interests, including national security. With this guideline, China will be tough in facing opposition, protests as well as other stronger actions.
On one hand, China sets out red line for some of the countries, including Japan and the US. China has reaffirmed the positions, officially responded to the blame of these countries and started to patrol in ADIZ. By these approaches, China sent out signals to other countries that there is little possibility for China to nullify the setting of the zone.
What the other countries should do is to understand China’s interests and concern, in order to avoid problems caused by miscalculation. The “freedom of action” pursued by the US is not something absent of limit. Every country should respect others’ interests and abide by international norms. Only in this condition, the freedom can be realized.
On the other hand, China is trying to assure other countries that it does not aim at changing the status quo or worsen the regional situation. Last month, China held the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and issued a wide range of domestic reform plans. China needs a favorable environment for development. Accordingly, causing more instability in the region is not consistent with China’s interests.
China is communicating with the US that it is Japan that makes more tension in the region. What the US should do is to try to regulate Japan’s behavior instead of encouraging the provocation by repeating the US promises to defend Japan as well as the Diaoyu Islands.
At the same time, China also needs to explain to other countries about policy intentions behind the ADIZ.
China’s ADIZ in East China Sea partly overlaps with South Korea’s military air zone, or KADIZ, and covers the Ieodo, a southernmost submerged rock claimed by Seoul. At the same time, Japan is complicating the situation by trying to unify with the ASEAN countries to counterbalance China. It is likely that China will set up ADIZ in South China Sea. Since Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar have had their own ADIZs, there is possibility that China’s potential zone will overlap with related countries.
Accordingly, China will make clarification and have talks with related countries to reduce distrust.
China’s bottom-line thinking is in the progress of becoming mature. It will be an important guideline for China’s foreign policies.
As for ADIZ, there has been some positive signal. The Obama administration has advised the country’s civilian carriers to comply with the rules of China’s zone. Even though the government said it has not changed its positions, it is still a starting point for the cooling of the current unnecessary tension.
Su Xiaohui, Deputy Director, Department of International and Strategic Studies, China Institute of International Studies.
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)