Work to make a sea change

Therefore, China should take steps to bolster the enforcement of its ADIZ rules, including formulating detailed regulations for aircraft identification, applying different management tactics for different areas of the airspace, to ensure the normal operation of its airspace over the East China Sea.

China should further strengthen its maritime defense system, for which a key step should be the formulation and implementation of the basic law of ocean. Considering that the State Oceanic Administration and the Ministry of National Defense are the main departments in charge of maintaining sea and air safety in the East China Sea, it is very important that they establish a sound coordination mechanism for the sharing of functions and powers.

The developments in the East China Sea is a good opportunity for China to restructure the State Oceanic Administration and establish a national ocean council, and set up a unified coordination mechanism for maritime affairs.

The leadership of the proposed State security committee should help streamline the maritime defense system, define the specific functions and powers of different departments (including a leading central group on maritime rights and interests, national ocean council, State Oceanic Administration and China Coast Guard), promote coordinated action in dealing with maritime affairs and strengthen cooperation with the Ministry of National Defense, including sharing of information and intelligence.

The proposed council should also coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure that all departments speak in one voice when it comes to defense matters.

But it is absolutely necessary that China and Japan increase communication and strengthen their coordination mechanism over major sea and air activities to maintain sea and air safety, prevent accidents and respond to emergencies in the East China Sea.

The coordination mechanism should include the establishment of a sea and air crisis management system between China's Ministry of National Defense and the Japanese Ministry of Defense and between the Coast Guards of the neighboring countries.

The author is director of the Center for China Marine Strategy Studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.