The Chinese government announced on the 23rd that its air force had conducted the first air patrol in the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone since its demarcation. A military expert, Mr. Meng Xiangqing said in an interview with a CCTV reporter that China's air force had dispatched polytype fighters on patrol, which not only protected scout and early warning planes, but also met the requirement of law enforcement after the demarcation of the air defense identification zone.

According to a news spokesperson for the Chinese air force, Colonel Shen Jinke, the air force has conducted the first air patrol in the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone of the PRC following its demarcation and announcement. On this occasion the Chinese air force dispatched two scout planes to carry out a patrol mission, and also dispatched early warning planes and polytype fighters to carry out support protection and guarantee control.

Mr. Shen Jinke said that this patrol mission conformed to standard international practice, and that normal international air services in the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone would not be affected.

He pointed it out that the Chinese army was capable of maintaining effective control over the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone and would take necessary measures to protect air-defense security against any threat.

When asked why the air force had dispatched these plane types on patrol, Mr. Meng Xiangqing answered that different planes would play different roles. One of the main purposes of demarcating the Air Defense Identification Zone was to carry out timely identification, monitoring, control and management of aircraft which entered the area, and airplanes carrying out normal patrols in the zone would include scout planes, early warning planes, and fighters. Early warning is the core purpose of the Air Defense Identification Zone. When foreign aircraft enter our airspace, early warning planes can spot them immediately. Polytype fighters can be dispatched on patrol to protect scout planes and early warning planes for self-defense purposes, which corresponds to the requirements of law enforcement after the demarcation of our Air Defense Identification Zone.