BEIJING: China seemed to be having its way after it scrambled fighter jets to investigate US and Japanese airplanes that entered its new air defense identification zone in the East China Sea on Saturday.

The US asked the country’s airlines to comply with China’s instructions about their flight plans. Japan, which had earlier asked its carriers to disregard the new Chinese law, is expected to follow suit.

China upgraded its monitoring of the zone by sending fighters instead of depending on remote observation. This is the first time since the declaration of the zone on November 23 that the PLA has scrambled its fighters. Japan had taken similar action some months back when Chinese warplanes flew near the disputed Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.

“China’s air force has faithfully carried out its mission and tasks since it was tasked with patrolling the East China Sea air defense identification zone,” PLA airforce spokesman Shen Jinke said.

The new Chinese ADIZ covers the Japan-controlled Diaoyu islands and overlaps with similar air defense zones of Japan and South Korea. Many suspect that the ADIZ is part of a Chinese strategy to strengthen its claims over the disputed Diaoyu islands.

Chinese officials have retorted saying it was similar to the ADIZ maintained by Japan, the US and European nations, which is to serve as an early warning system for aircraft in the zone.

In Washington, US officials said they were examining if the ADIZ covered commercial planes or was restricted to military planes. Chinese law expects all aircraft to inform Beijing before entering the zone.

The US said its instruction to carriers was consistent to the international practice of Notams (notices to airmen). “The US government generally expects that US carriers operating internationally will operate consistent with Notams issued by foreign countries,” the state department said in a statement.

