US, Japan 'deeply concerned' after China sets up air defense zone over disputed islands

China's announcement that it has set up a new air defense zone over the East China Sea that includes the disputed islands has reportedly concerned both Japan and the US.

The Chinese Defense Ministry said that the zone, that includes the Japan-held Senkaku islands, has been created to guard against potential air threats.

Beijing has also issued rules saying it would identify, monitor, control and react to any air threats or unidentified flying objects coming from the sea, and all aircraft must notify Chinese authorities or be subject to emergency military measures, Fox News reports.

The unilateral action has been branded 'very dangerous' by Japan, whose head of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Junichi Ihara said that Japan can never accept the zone set up by China as it includes the Senkakus, adding that it will 'escalate' already fraught bilateral ties.

China defended its move saying that the zone is in line with the practice of other nations that have similar zones to protect their coasts.

Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State John Kerry said that the US was 'deeply concerned' about China's announcement regarding the East China Sea air defense zone.

He urged China not to implement its threat to take action against aircraft that do not identify themselves or obey orders from Beijing, the report added.