The Pentagon has refused to acknowledge China’s proclaimed Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the East China Sea after Beijing warned a U.S. B-1 bomber it had been flying there illegally this week.
Washington maintained it would continue its operations in the region. China claimed that area in 2013, a statement the U.S. and Japan has rejected since. On Thursday, Chinese government officials called on the U.S. to respect its self-proclaimed ADIZ.
U.S. Pacific Air Forces told CNN a B-1 bomber was flying near South Korea on Sunday before its pilots reported to Chinese air traffic controllers that they were undergoing routine operations in international airspace. The aircraft never deviated from its flight path.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she had no knowledge of the matter and referred questions to the Defense Ministry.
“But, generally speaking, I hope that in this region all countries’ actions consider the security concerns of relevant countries and be beneficial for mutual trust, peace and stability between countries,” Hua told a daily news briefing.
Commander Gary Ross, a spokesman for the U.S. Defense Department, said the U.S viewed China’s ADIZ over the East China Sea “a unilateral change to the status quo … that raises regional tensions and increases the risk of miscalculation, confrontation and accidents.”
He added, “The United States will not acquiesce to unilateral acts of other States designed to restrict the rights, freedoms, and uses of the sea and airspace, as reflected in international law. We do not accept, nor do we recognize, the East China Sea ADIZ declared by China.”
