Japan, US squeeze China's ADIZ

[unhappycamper]

http://atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/SEA-03-181213.html



Japan, US squeeze China's ADIZ
By Richard Javad Heydarian
Dec 18, '13

MANILA - At a recently concluded summit with Japan in Tokyo, the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asians (ASEAN) joined their host in thinly veiled criticism of China's newly declared air identification defense zone (ADIZ) for areas covering the East China Sea.

The ADIZ, announced by Beijing in late November, covers areas disputed with Japan and has been strongly rebuked by South Korea, Taiwan and the United States. Beijing has insisted the ADIZ is consistent with international laws and other countries' declared sovereign aerial space.

ASEAN and Japan's joint statement, issued nominally to recognize 40 years of diplomatic relations, agreed to "cooperation in ensuring the freedom of over flight and civil aviation safety, in accordance with the universally recognized principles of international law".

The statement reflects underlying concerns in Southeast Asia that China intends to extend the ADIZ to include contested territorial areas in the South China Sea. While the statement did not include any tangible commitments from its signatories, some analysts viewed it as a potential watershed in future regional strategic alignments vis-a-vis China.