China – Decisions on Air Defence Zone “Depending on the Threat”:

The Chinese Defence Ministry issued a note (27.02.2014 – Beijing) suggesting that there is a possibility to implement an air defence identification zone over the disputed waters of the South China Sea, depending on the level of threat in the air. China is confident that all relations with the countries surrounding the disputed maritime area, and the general situation in the South China Sea, are stable. A few days from his stepping down, the US Ambassador to China, Gary Locke, has publicly expressed concerns for the rising tensions between Japan and China, inviting both parties to lower the temperature in order to avoid unintended consequences.