Air defence zone over islets not to affect flights: China

China today established an air defence zone over disputed islands claimed by Japan, sparking fresh tensions though Beijing maintained that the move would not affect international flights over the region.
The Chinese Defence Ministry announced that aircraft entering the "East China Sea Air Defence Identification Zone", which became effective today, will have to inform China or face "emergency defensive measures".
Under new Chinese rules, aircraft entering the zone will have to report their flight plans to the Chinese Foreign Ministry or the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
Defending the move Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun said, "The normal flight of international flights in the zone will not be affected."

The zone includes the airspace within the area enclosed by China's outer limit of the territorial sea, the announcement said. It specified boundaries in the East China Sea, where the uninhabited disputed islands called Diaoyu by China and Senkakus by Japan are located, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Yang said China will take timely measures to deal with air threats and unidentified flying objects from the sea, including identification, monitoring, control and disposition, and hoped all relevant sides positively cooperate and jointly maintain flying safety.
"It is a necessary measure in China's exercise of self-defence rights. It has no particular target and will not affect the freedom of flight in relevant airspace," he added.