China-US tension may rise further on Japan: Bad for US economy
China-US tension may rise further on Japan as US bombers flew over new China zone. But this is going to be bad for US economy
Japan was backed by the US when it decided to defy China’s military claim airspace over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands in the South China Sea. In the same move of defiance, US has sent two unarmed bombers on training mission over the disputed airspace without informing Beijing, but China did not respond to the move.
The US military officials said that the flight of B-52 bombers was part of a long-planned exercise. The Pentagon further informed that the White House has urged Beijing to resolve its dispute with Japan over the islands diplomatically, without resorting to “threats or inflammatory language”.
On their part, Japan Airlines and ANA Holdings, two of the country’s biggest aviation firms, would stop sharing flight plans with Beijing from Wednesday. Notices to this effect have been posted on the official websites of both JAL and ANA. Japan’s aviation industry association has decided that there is no threat to passenger safety by ignoring the Chinese demands.
Dean Cheng, an analyst at the conservative Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based think tank, said, “Beijing may have been caught off-guard and could change its approach. The Chinese may not have expected such a strong American reaction so soon. The fact that Washington responded and responded so strongly sends a very clear challenge back to Beijing saying: ‘Look, in case you were wondering, we are serious when we say we are an ally of Japan. And do not mess with that.’”
China has published and brought into effect an “Air Defense Identification Zone” in the East China Sea, which has escalated disputes over the already contentious waters between the two Asian countries. The area in question is about two thirds the size of Britain. China’s military claim to airspace in the disputed waters comes even as tension between the two countries has been brewing over competing claims to disputed islands in the sea. The islands are situated close to strategically important shipping lanes and are located over waters rich in precious marine life and flora. They are called Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. The airspace claimed by China lies over and near these uninhabited islands.
China’s move is disapproved by most and Brad Glosserman, executive director of the Honolulu-based Pacific Forum CSIS said, “This is confirming the darker view of China in Asia. The Chinese once again are proving to be their own worst enemy … driving the U.S. closer to Japan and (South) Korea closer to the position of Tokyo as well.”
No comments:
Post a Comment