China urges US to stop close-in reconnaissance in airspace dispute

World Today

China urges US to stop close-in reconnaissance in airspace dispute

China is urging the United States to stop so-called “close-in reconnaissance” of airspace off China’s coast. The request follows a close encounter between a Chinese jet and a U.S. surveillance plane off China’s Hainan island last week.

The U.S. said the Chinese aircraft performed dangerous maneuvers and it accused the pilot of reckless behavior, but China said the real problem is the proximity of U.S. aircraft to its shores. CCTV America’S Nathan King reports.

It happened last week in the skies above the South China Sea. The U.S. accused the pilot of a Chinese J-11 fighter jet of flying dangerously close to a U.S. Navy Poseidon P-8 surveillance aircraft. China rejected the accusations and is now calling U.S. actions provocative.

“The cause of this incident is the frequent reconnaissance activities by U.S. aircraft very close to China’s shores. The U.S. always focuses on technical issues, such as the distance between aircraft during such encounters, but then ignores the basic problem, which is the fact that the U.S. conducts many nearby reconnaissance activities. Such incidents not only harm China’s security interests, they also damage the strategic trust and bilateral relations between China and the U.S.” – Yang Yujun, Chinese Defense Ministry

The U.S. lodged a formal complaint with Beijing and maintains its actions are legal.

“We’re going to continue to fly in international airspace the way we’ve been, just like we’re going to continue to sail our ships in international waters the way we’ve been,” said John Kirby, Pentagon Press Secretary. “The United States is a Pacific power. We have responsibilities – five of seven treaty alliances in the Pacific region – we’re going to meet those security commitments.”

The U.S. maintains that surveillance in international waters is allowed. There is no international law that forbids it.

However, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which covers overflights inside a country’s so-called Exclusive Economic Zone, there is a caveat. Countries are allowed to enter airspace.

Article 58 of the treaty states: “States shall have due regard to the rights and duties of the coastal State and shall comply with the laws and regulations adopted by the coastal State in accordance with the provisions of this Convention and other rules of international law.”

Article 88 reads: “The high seas shall be reserved for peaceful purposes only.”

The questions facing the Chinese military are whether the United States infringed on China’s rights by flying too close to its shores as well as whether or not it is only for peaceful purposes.

The incident occurred near Hainan Island, home to military installations including a key submarine base. Chinese scholars and defense officials argue the U.S. actions are not peaceful.

The U.S. State Department said the reconnaissance over Hainan was transparent and that it had informed China. But China says it never received a warning from the U.S.