A well written article explaining the background behinds ADIZs and the balancing acts regional countries need to perform regarding China's claim to an East China Sea ADIZ.

The author avoids parochial-ideological asides like its "China's fault...America's fault ...or especially Abbott/Bishop's fault"

In the realist world there is international recognition that might has its privileges - with the aim of achieving stability and avoidance of war. Might explains why the five most militarily powerful countries are the five permanent members (P5) of the UN Security Council. They were appointed the P5 in 1944-45 and then in the mid 1960s appointed the only 5 countries legally permitted to possess nuclear weapons.

The US has its national ADIZ and its widely recognized Monroe Doctrine privilege of controlling major security matters in North, Central and South America.

Where this is going is that China is an emerging super-power with an expanding sphere. Put another way China's might has its sphere of influence privileges. China's main problem is that major powers Japan, the US and Russia are also in/near to China's South China Sea and East China Sea sphere.

As the author's article suggests avoidance of conflict in the region between these powers is a major international interest.

Pete
http://gentleseas.blogspot.com.au/

The China-haters and the Yank-apologists will soon cluster around this thread like swarming bees.

Yeah, the Cavemen and Flat Earthers will be in their element apportioning all the blame to China and none of the blame to the Yanks and their conga-line of mindless, brain-dead supporters.

Australian politicians, Israeli and Yank-apologists to a man and women, will attack the Chinese while they take their money! Hypocrisy is a common trait of both Australians and Americans as is profound stupidity.

When will the Abbott Government decide to build a land-bridge to the U.S. is what I want to know? Who wants Australian beaches when U.S. beaches and Wall-to-Wall MacDonalds beckon?

Better still, when will Canberra under Pope Abbott and Mother Superior Bishop start a feasibility study on towing Australia to America's West Coast?

Australians and Yanks are blood-brothers. Both of our countries were bloodbaths and the citizens of both still involve themselves in killing anyone who gets in their capitalist road!

David,

And the issues are, in this case ?

Which country has made the moves ?

Which country seems most likely to de-stabilise sensitive situations in the East China Sea ?

And in the South China Sea, come to think of it ?

But feel free to kick your dog, that can be fun too.

Joe

One can only speculate on why Phillip Coggin wants to muddy the water in China's favour? There are hundreds of border disputes all around the world Gibraltar, Prussia, Romania, the Falklands, but nobody in their right mind is willing to push the issue because it will mean war.

There were even border disputes between some of the smaller nations over islands in the South China Sea but none of these nations wanted a war with each other so none of them pushed the issue. Then along comes China which now claims almost all of the islands in the SCS, even those right off the coastlines of Vietnam and the Philippines.

Western pseudo intellectuals may cry "no blood for oil" but the Chinese are a lot more sensible than that. In a world of diminishing resources it is critical for any advanced society to ensure it's economic survival by grabbing as much resource laden territory as it can. China is now in the situation which faced Germany and Japan in which it was a latecomer to the idea of economic and territorial expansion. Like Germany and Japan, it is now flexing its military muscles and is trying to bully its smaller neighbours into stealing seabed territory it knows that it does not own.

China is not interested in negotiating with its smaller neighbours an equitable division of territory in the SCS. Nor is it interested in taking its claim to an international court which settles territorial claims because it knows that it would lose.

So the Chinese are using force to claim the entire SCS and Phillip Coggin can see nothing wrong with that. All he an do is make excuses.

The Yanks have just closed down car manufacturing in Australia, no ifs or buts. Holden and Ford are gone. The economic impact will be profound.

China is angered that Australia is supporting the U.S. in its Asian pivot (which is aimed at restricting China's growth) and is also supporting Japan over the disputed Islands. If China decides to stop buying minerals from Australia in retaliation we will be up the creek without a paddle.

Could I suggest that all the Yank-apologists and the China-knockers put their brains into gear just for once and think about the negative messages that they are sending to China.

Why are we biting the hands that feed us?

"Yank-apologists and the China-knockers"

David, don't you realise that you are exactly the same as the people you criticise, with just the "Yank" and the "China" swapped around? Anyone who takes such a one-sided view of geo-political realities is clearly ignorant of how the world actually works.

The linked forum is great for a grown-up discussion of these issues.
http://www.defencetalk.com/forums/geo-strategic-issues/chinese-air-defence-identification-zone-east-china-sea-12877/