Kyodo News InternationalDecember 3, 2013 09:31
Abe, Biden confirm Japan-U.S. coordination over China air zone
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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden confirmed on Tuesday further bilateral coordination over China's newly declared air defense identification zone in the East China Sea that covers a group of disputed islands.
After their meeting in Tokyo, Biden told reporters that the United States is "deeply concerned" about China's "attempt to unilaterally change the status quo" in the East China Sea, saying that the Chinese action has raised regional tensions and increased the risk of accidents and miscalculation.
Biden's Asia trip, which will also take him to China and South Korea, comes as doubts linger among Asian countries about the strength of the commitment by the administration of President Barack Obama to the U.S. rebalance toward Asia as China becomes increasingly willing to stake its claims in regional waters.
"First and foremost, Vice President Biden and I confirmed that the Japan-U.S. alliance will continue to play a pivotal role for the peace and stability of this region," Abe told reporters, standing alongside Biden.
Abe said the two confirmed that Japan and the United States should not tolerate China's attempt to change the status quo "unilaterally by force," adding that they also agreed not to condone any action that would threaten the safety of civilian aircraft.
Japanese and U.S. policies and measures, including the operations of Japan's Self-Defense Forces and U.S. forces, will not change because of the Chinese move, he added.
Biden called for "crisis management mechanisms" and "effective channels of communication" between Japan and China to reduce the risk of escalation, saying that the risk of miscalculations and mistakes is "too high."
During the meeting, Abe conveyed to Biden Tokyo's intention to seek a conclusion by year-end to the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact negotiations by resolving outstanding issues through cooperation between Japan and the United States.
While Tokyo and Washington are working to reduce burdens on Okinawa from hosting the bulk of the U.S. forces in Japan, Abe expressed his determination to realize the stalled relocation of a U.S. Marine Corps air base within the southern Japanese prefecture.
His remarks come amid speculation that Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima may soon decide whether to authorize the landfill needed to build a replacement facility in a coastal area.
At a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and other lawmakers earlier in the day, Biden said Japan and the United States will take coordinated steps over China's establishment last month of an air defense zone, according to Shigeru Ishiba, the No. 2 man of Abe's Liberal Democratic Party, who attended the meeting.
The vice president indicated he will directly convey his views to Chinese leaders when he visits Beijing later this week.
In connection with the Chinese air defense measure, a senior U.S. administration official said Washington is calling on China to "exercise restraint" to avoid increasing tensions or acts that would raise the risk of miscalculation.
The United States is also urging China not to establish a new air defense identification zone over "contested territory" without first consulting with those who would be affected, according to the official.
China is believed to be preparing to set up a similar air defense zone in the South China Sea, where it is involved in maritime disputes with the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries.
The Chinese air defense identification zone overlaps a similar perimeter set up by Japan over parts of the East China Sea and its establishment is widely seen as an attempt to bolster Beijing's claims to the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands, which are called Diaoyu in China.
The United States does not take a position on which country has sovereignty over the Senkakus but says the bilateral security treaty, which obligates the United States to defend Japan, applies to the islands because they are administered by Japan.
The sovereignty dispute between Japan and China over the uninhabited isles has heated up, particularly since the Japanese government purchased three of the five main islands in the group from a Japanese citizen in September 2012.
Biden, who arrived in Tokyo on Monday night, will visit China from Wednesday for talks with President Xi Jinping later that day. He will then visit South Korea for talks with President Park Geun Hye on Friday before returning to Washington.
==Kyodo
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http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/kyodo-news-international/131203/abe-biden-confirm-japan-us-coordination-over-china-a-0
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