A Year of Air Intimidation

Ignoring warnings from Japan and its allies including the United States, China keeps on asserting its right in newly-set air defense identification zone in East China Sea. Chinese Force reiterated intimidation to the aircrafts of Japanese Air Self-defense Force by reaching them too close. The Chinese force looks like to be willing to make some unexpected events happen in the growingly unstable region, which no others want.

November 23rd was the first anniversary for China, since it set ADIZ, overlapping Japan’s. That day last year, China unilaterally announced that. While American Air Force penetrated the zone to test China’s intention, which brought no trouble, non-military commercial jets were careful not to get into the area to avoid being targeted by the Chinese Force.

The Chinese has been accumulating actions, wanting to be recognized as if the zone was theirs. In January, Chinese Air Force announced that they made a sound warning to a foreign military aircraft in the zone. When Japanese Air Self-defense Force recognized unusual reaching of a Chinese fighter jet to Japanese military aircraft in May, the Chinese force argued that was a disturbance of Japanese aircraft to the joint military exercise by China and Russia. In a extremely dangerous case when a Chinese fighter jet reached Japanese aircraft as close as a hundred feet in June, China insisted that they kept five hundred feet. It was not the matter of distance, anyway.

Improvement of command of the air in the East China Sea is one of the critical purposes for Chinese military. Xi Jinping administration has been demonstrating its ability of its Air Force by exhibiting brand-new stealth fighter jet, J-31, or airborne early warning and control system, KJ-2000. According to a report of Yomiuri Shimbun, the Chinese are improving their warning ability with integrated system of balloon and maritime reconnaissance satellites.

Yomiuri also quoted Xi’s comment in military conference. On the operation in the ADIZ, Xi was satisfied with results, saying “It’s been quite a good effect.” “East China Sea is the first attempt. Let us consider the South China Sea next,” he added. Although they do not have enough capability to control the broad area in the South China Sea, their motivation is to build up a stronghold in Spratly Islands by landfill of archipelago around.

China looks like a crazy driver on highway. Reaching close to others, loudly honking, frequently changing lanes and not hesitating causing car crush are what the Chinese Air Force has been doing in the East China Sea. Nobody would drive such kind of road, and making people feeling that is their purpose. Sadly enough, China is becoming a rogue nation in terms of air operation.