Former Vietnamese and incumbent Philippine officials have said that China is likely to establish an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) over the South China Sea, reports Duowei News, a news outlet run by overseas Chinese.
Chinese officials refuted the claim and reasserted China's claims to the region, according to the website.
China's land reclamation activities in the South China Sea and the shipping of artillery to the artificial islands it has built were in preparation for the establishment of an ADIZ over the area, said Nguyen Xuan Mau, former deputy political commissar of Vietnam's air force. If an ADIZ is established, Beijing will demand that other countries' aircraft passing through the area inform China beforehand, Nguyen added. He said the United States cannot contain China's ambition in the area in the short term but the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement may significantly boost Washington's ability to take on the challenges from China.
Read the full story at Want China Times