If security threatened, have right to demarcate zone in South China Sea: Beijing

A senior Chinese official says Beijing reserves the right to declare an Air Defense Identification Zone over the South China Sea, a move that would sharply escalate tensions in the disputed territory. Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin told reporters on Wednesday, “China has the right to do so. China has established an ADIZ over the East China Sea.” He says such a move will be based on the level of threat against China. He says, “If our security is being threatened, of course we have the right to demarcate a zone. This would depend on our overall assessment.” [caption id=“attachment_2890728” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] He also says China hopes other countries will not take this opportunity to threaten China and “we hope that they will work with China to protect the peace and stability of the South China Sea, and not let the South China Sea become the origin of a war.” China’s ADIZ over the East China Sea is not recognized by the U.S. and others. A day after an international tribunal said China had no legal basis for its expansive claim to the South China Sea, Beijing issued a policy paper saying the islands in the South China Sea are “China’s inherent territory”. In a policy paper released on Wednesday, China’s government asserted its sovereignty over the islands and their surrounding waters and opposes other countries’ “illegal claims and occupation.” “It is the Philippines that has created and stirred up the trouble,” said Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin, in introducing the paper. The paper blamed the Philippines for violating an agreement with China to settle the disputes through bilateral negotiation and said Manila “distorted facts and concocted a pack of lies” to push forward the arbitral proceedings.