Japan and the United States agreed Monday that China's declaration of an air defense identification zone over the East China Sea will not be allowed to affect the operations of the Self-Defense Forces and U.S. military.
In a meeting in Tokyo, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Adm. Samuel Locklear, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, affirmed continued coordination to deal with China's action, the Foreign Ministry said.
Beijing in November announced rules requiring aircraft entering the zone, which covers the Japan-administered Senkaku Islands, also claimed by China and Taiwan, to file flight plans in advance and follow the instructions of Chinese controllers or face "defensive emergency measures."