Maggern
Junior Member
Though hard to confirm, this article has some interesting insights about the leadup to the zone:
According to an inside source, the decision to establish the zone was made at top level. Apparently Xi Jinping exercised his 拍板 ("take the wheel" comparable to executive decision I guess, which is the final word in a locked debate made by the Chairman). It has been in the planning stage for a long time, and it took another four months after the decision was made until the zone now became operational. The source also points to the elephant in the room...that the Diaoyu islands is part of the reasoning, but not the main intent. Nor is increasing presence in the ECS itself. Rather, it's part of the strategy of expanding PLA presence past the first island chain.
最新一期香港亚洲周刊报道,据消息人士透露,中国宣布划设东海防空识别区,是中共最高决策层酝酿再三的决定,此举是中国海空战略重大突破。背后深藏的意义在于,中国关注的焦点不再只是钓鱼岛,也不再只是东海中间线的油气田,而是中国突破第一岛链的出海口宫古海峡。
消息人士说,在东海上空划设防空识别区,这一海空战略重大突破,是中南海在中共十八大后拟定的。这在中央军委已经酝酿很长时间,其间曾多番听取专家学者建议。
年前,国防部再度向中央军委提议,尽快划设防空识别区,当时中南海仍按兵不动。4个月前,权衡利弊后,中共总书记、中央军委主席习近平作出决定而最终拍板,更提出中日之争“由资源之争演变为战略之争”的论述。
11月9日,中共召开十八届三中全会,之前一天,中国驻日本大使馆开始侨民自愿登记工作,为在发生重大突发紧急事件时及时联系侨民并提供协助,这一举措当时没有引起外界特别关注。
11月12日,中共十八届三中全会闭幕,北京声称要成立国家安全委员会,执行管理国土安全的职能。10天后,在东海上空划设防空识别区公布并实施。联想到之前中国驻日本大使馆开展的侨民自愿登记工作,此时引起人们纷纷猜测:是否与中方公布东海防空识别区有关?是否要为打仗作准备?北京外交部发言人秦刚则说,侨民登记是一种国际惯例,如此联想是“不必要的解读”。
不过,中国设立了防空识别区后,未来中国军机肯定会大幅加强在这个区域的活动。
据透露,继东海后,中国对黄海、南海等相关海域,都会陆续划设防空识别区。
According to an inside source, the decision to establish the zone was made at top level. Apparently Xi Jinping exercised his 拍板 ("take the wheel" comparable to executive decision I guess, which is the final word in a locked debate made by the Chairman). It has been in the planning stage for a long time, and it took another four months after the decision was made until the zone now became operational. The source also points to the elephant in the room...that the Diaoyu islands is part of the reasoning, but not the main intent. Nor is increasing presence in the ECS itself. Rather, it's part of the strategy of expanding PLA presence past the first island chain.