China's demarcation of an air defense identification zone over the East China Sea is escalating the situation and could trigger an unwanted clash, a draft overview of Japan's upcoming white paper on defense showed Wednesday, taking aim at Beijing for its "unilateral" attempts to change the status quo.
The white paper, which is expected to be approved by the Cabinet in early August, will also state China has "unjustifiably infringed on the principle of freedom of flight in airspace above high seas," as foreign aircraft entering the ADIZ are forced to follow Beijing's rules and identify themselves, according to the outline.
In May and June, Self-Defense Forces aircraft and Chinese fighter jets flew unusually close where the two countries' ADIZs overlap, raising fears of a military clash.