By AARON MEHTA
WASHINGTON — China’s creation of an air defense identification zone over the East China Sea is seen by many as a provocative statement from the Communist nation. But leaders of the US Air Force believe the international community should view this as an opportunity to discuss how to manage air defense zones in the region.
“I hope it’s not a platform for conflict. I hope it is a platform for communication,” Gen. Mark Welsh, Air Force chief of staff, said Wednesday morning at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington.
“I think it gives us a great mandate for communicating better with each other and understanding there could potentially be mistakes and miscommunication in this kind of interchange if we establish air defense zones that overlay airspace where we know other nations are already operating,” Welsh said. “This is a discussion that needs to happen, it needs to be an international discussion, we need to do it with our allies and I think we’re heavily involved in that right now. So I hope it’s an opportunity for better communication. That’s the only acceptable future.”
Read the full story at DefenseNews