In stark contrast to the accusations from Washington and Tokyo, China's establishment of an air defense identification zone can ensure the transparency of flights and maintain flight order in the zone and prevent misunderstandings and miscalculations. It is unfair to blame China for adopting an internationally common practice.

An air defense identification zone, as an area of airspace established by a coastal state beyond its territorial airspace, is designated to identify and monitor aircraft that enter the zone. Such zones, simply put, are part of a country's security early warning system, which was initiated by the US and Canada in the 1950s amid the East-West military confrontation.

Air defense identification zones now surround much of North America, and more than 20 countries and regions, including Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, have established such zones. Rules for the zones vary from country to country, but all have the same defensive nature. Although countries retain the right to identify and monitor foreign aircraft entering their air defense identification zones, they do not deny aircraft entry, they will only intercept and eject aircraft that violate their rules or pose a security threat.

The air defense identification zones of other countries were established in the name of safeguarding national security and are defensive in nature. But when China establishes its first air defense identification zone, it suddenly becomes "unnecessarily inflammatory", "destabilizing" and "dangerous" and invites an "unexpected situation" in the eyes of some. The abrupt change fits into the pattern of Washington's double standards and Tokyo is only too happy to dance to Washington's tune.

Although international laws have neither clear stipulations nor prohibitions about air defense identification zones, in theory, the establishment of such a zone is in line with the principles and spirit of international laws, and most countries accept or acquiesce in them. Article 51 of the United Nations Charter recognizes a country's inherent right of self-defense against an armed attack. The Convention on International Civil Aviation recognizes that every state has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory. Based on that, the country is entitled to defend its territorial airspace from foreign intrusion.