We find ourselves rattling sabers again over territorial disputes in the China Sea. This time, it concerns mutual claims among Japan, China, Taiwan and, more broadly, others such as Vietnam and The Philippines of sovereignty over islands and, more importantly, their ocean and air rights. Anybody remember the misguided obsession with Quemoy and Matsu during the 1960 Presidential election? (Okay, I read about it.)
President Obama is right to ask U.S. commercial airlines to notify Chinese authorities of their intention to cross this disputed air space. After all, the 1983 Soviet shoot down of that South Korean commercial flight underscores the disastrous consequences of heightened sensitivity over territory, real or alleged. Would China do such a thing? Not likely, but the history of warfare is littered with the results of accidents and other unintended mistakes. So, let U.S. air forces continue to test and impede these false sovereignty claims while keeping civilians out of harm's way.
The President missed an opportunity, however, in not asking U. S. commercial carriers to notify Japanese and Taiwanese authorities, too. This one-sided notification arrangement favors China unnecessarily at this point and overplays our hand.
Of course, the more troubling issue here is the way in which these territorial disputes are used by China to distract public opinion - there and abroad - from more substantive human rights and economic issues. Let's resolve this one, boys, so we can refocus on the most important issues in U.S.-Sino relations. These territorial disputes represent symptoms and not the underlying problems.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/30/world/asia/china-scrambles-jets-for-first-time-in-new-air-zone.html?hp
Twitter @jessicamcwade
President Obama is right to ask U.S. commercial airlines to notify Chinese authorities of their intention to cross this disputed air space. After all, the 1983 Soviet shoot down of that South Korean commercial flight underscores the disastrous consequences of heightened sensitivity over territory, real or alleged. Would China do such a thing? Not likely, but the history of warfare is littered with the results of accidents and other unintended mistakes. So, let U.S. air forces continue to test and impede these false sovereignty claims while keeping civilians out of harm's way.
The President missed an opportunity, however, in not asking U. S. commercial carriers to notify Japanese and Taiwanese authorities, too. This one-sided notification arrangement favors China unnecessarily at this point and overplays our hand.
Of course, the more troubling issue here is the way in which these territorial disputes are used by China to distract public opinion - there and abroad - from more substantive human rights and economic issues. Let's resolve this one, boys, so we can refocus on the most important issues in U.S.-Sino relations. These territorial disputes represent symptoms and not the underlying problems.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/30/world/asia/china-scrambles-jets-for-first-time-in-new-air-zone.html?hp
Twitter @jessicamcwade