Work to make a sea change

China and Japan must increase communication and establish coordination to prevent untoward incidents in East China Sea

A State security committee will be set up to improve systems and strategies to ensure national security, according to the Decisions on Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reforms, issued by the Third Plenum of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee in November. The plenum document also calls for bolstering maritime law enforcement in China's territorial waters, including around islands.

National security includes maritime security, which has a direct bearing on China's strategy of becoming a sea power through peaceful development. Given the increase in sea and air safety related problems in the East China Sea, China must expedite efforts to secure its maritime territory, exercise its territorial rights in the East China Sea, especially in the waters surrounding the Diaoyu Islands, and strengthen the management and mechanism of maritime affairs to safeguard national security and protect its overall maritime rights and interests.

After Japan "nationalized" the Diaoyu Islands in September 2012, China announced the baselines of its territorial waters, which covers the Diaoyu Islands and their affiliated islets, enforced its maritime law and regularized patrol missions near the islands. Since neither China nor Japan is ready to make any concession, the risk of the two countries' patrol vessels colliding has increased.

Moreover, Japan has empowered its Coast Guard to police the waters off Diaoyu Islands and arrest anyone who sets foot on them. It also has developed a five-year basic plan for ocean policy to integrate new security policies and measures with focus on strengthening the "management" of the Diaoyu Islands.

It is thus not enough for China to only announce the baselines of its territorial waters around the Diaoyu Islands and their affiliated islets. It also has to strengthen measures to enforce its maritime laws, which should include intensified patrolling of the surrounding waters with emphasis on defining the functions, powers and punitive measures of maritime management organizations.

To ensure airspace safety over and maintain order in the East China Sea, China should more firmly enforce the laws of its new Air Defense Identification Zone. To guarantee the safety of flights within the ADIZ, including the area over the Diaoyu Islands, and strengthen control over the East China Sea airspace, the Ministry of National Defense has issued the aircraft identification rules.

Because of the large overlapping area of the ADIZs of China and Japan, there is increased fear of the two countries' aircraft, especially warplanes, clashing. Making matters worse is Japan's adamant stance not to abide by China's ADIZ rules.