China has declared an air defense zone over a chain of disputed islands in East China Sea.
Three US airlines have notified Chinese authorities of flight plans when traveling trough Beijing’s newly-declared air defense zone over the East China Sea.
Airlines United, American and Delta have provided the Chinese authorities with their flight plans after the US government advised them to comply with Beijing�™s demands.
A spokesman for Delta Airlines said it had been abiding by the Chinese requests for flight plans for the past week, according to Reuters. American and United said separately that they were complying.
“US airlines’ flights are operating normally,” Katie Connell, a spokeswoman for Airlines for America, an industry trade group told the AP. “We are in communication with both U.S. and Chinese civil aviation authorities and continue to follow standard international flight notification protocol and procedures.”
The controversial move by China has increased tensions with Japan and the United States.
The US advice to its airlines to comply with Chinese defense zone reflects fears that rising tensions could escalate into a real conflict in which the Obama administration would have to intervene on behalf of allied Japan.
Washington, however, has said it will not officially recognize Beijing�™s Air Defense Identification Zone which includes a cluster of islands claimed by both Japan and China.
The US State Department has slammed China�™s declaration as “an attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the East China Sea” which will “raise regional tensions and increase the risk of miscalculation, confrontation and accidents.”
Two major Japanese airlines have refused to comply with China’s demands.
The Japanese government said Saturday it has asked the International Civil Aviation Organization to address the issue.
Even though US airlines have been advised to comply with Chinese defense zone, officials insist that the US military will continue to travel through the area without notice to China.
China flew warplanes into the area on Friday to monitor American and Japanese aircraft flying there. The move came after two US B-52 bombers traversed the zone earlier this week without informing the Chinese authorities.
US Vice President Joe Biden is due to visit China, Japan and South Korea next week to try to ease tensions.
HJ/HJ
Source: Press TV