U.S. airline officials have confirmed that they were complying with new Chinese government demands to alert China before any flights pass through the country’s new self-declared air-defense zone over the East China Sea.
The demands from Beijing have resulted in tensions with Japan and the United States.
United, American and Delta airlines told CNN that its pilots were following America’s advice and complying with Beijing’s ‘air defense identification zone’.
According to the report, a senior official in President Barack Obama’s administration said commercial airlines are being told to abide by Beijing’s instruction.
China last week had announced the creation of the zone over several islands it and Japan have both claimed.
Japan rejected the new zone, as well as China’s insistence that aircraft entering it identify themselves and file flight plans. (ANI)