Mixed Messages from Ally

The attitude of the United States on Air Defense Identification Zone declared by China in the East China Sea are received as mixed messages and confusing the Government of Japan. After acting as a hardliner, U.S. showed a kind of appeasement by allowing private airlines giving in China. Although it has been making diplomatic efforts, the government keeps on revealing its shortage of choices other than following its giant ally.

U.S. government “generally expects that U.S. carriers operating internationally will operate consistent with Notices to Airmen issued by foreign countries,” said Spokeswoman for U.S. Department of State, Jen Psaki, on the issue of China’s ADIZ. “Our expectation of operations by U.S. carriers consistent with NOTAMs does not indicate U.S. government acceptance of China's requirements for operating in the newly declared ADIZ,” she added. Actually, most American airlines have already submitted flight plan or seriously considering it.

This announcement must have disappointed the officials of Japanese government. “I confirmed through diplomatic channel that U.S. government had not required the carriers to submit flight plan,” told Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, on Sunday. Yes, you are right, Mr. Prime Minister. U.S. government only asked them to be consistent with NOTAMs. But you are getting into trivia, which you always love. Requirement of U.S. government does not matter here. The fact that the carriers are doing it matters.

There is another bad news for these hawkish guys in the administration. An ultra right-wing retired officer of Self-defense Force of Japan, Toshio Tamogami, tweeted that it was up to a country where it would set ADIZ. “That is order of a country to its air force to identify coming aircrafts in order to maintain safety, and not violation of rights of other countries,” he said about ADIZ. His explanation contradicts Japanese government’s standpoint, which demanded China to decline newly set ADIZ.

Watching closely at discordance within the ally, the Chinese government insists on its interest in the zone. It announced that Chinese air force scrambled against U.S. and Japan’s aircrafts, the action which had not confirmed by U.S. and Japan. Japan, as a counteraction, proposed to discuss China’s ADIZ issue in a meeting of International Civil Aviation Organization, which appealed to no interest except some friend countries including U.S. and Australia. The ally has not hit a good shot against Chinese unilateralism on its territorial ambition in East Asia.