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U.S. Must Bear All Responsibility for Collision: Law Expert
The U.S. surveillance plane's collision with a Chinese fighter jet is against international law, and the United States should bear all responsibility and consequences for the incident.
Zhou Zhonghai, a vice-chairman of the Chinese Society of International Law, made the remark in an interview with Xinhua. He accused the U.S. surveillance plane of violating the "United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea" and China's "Law on Exclusive Economic Zones and Continental Shelves".
According to "United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," a country's exclusive economic zone is an area 200 nautical miles wide adjacent to the territorial sea on the baseline.
According to convention, foreign planes enjoy the "freedom of overflight" in exclusive economic zones, but while enjoying rights and duties, all nations should abide by the laws and regulations of the coastal states, if these laws and regulations are not against the convention, the expert said.
The Chinese law also requires foreign nations to abide by international and Chinese laws concerned when enjoying rights of navigation and overflight in the country's exclusive economic zones, Zhou noted.
The expert pointed out that it is obvious that the frequent surveillance flights by U.S. planes close to China's territorial waters are a challenge to the country's sovereignty, regardless of the serious warnings China has given time and again.
It is completely just and compatible with international law for Chinese planes to monitor U.S. spy planes to safeguard China's sovereignty and security, he noted.
Zhou went on to note that China's arrangements for the U.S. crew are out of humanitarian concern and should by no means be regarded as immunity for them. If the Chinese pilot, who is still missing, dies, the US plane should bear full responsibility, he said.
He backed the demands by the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman that the United States stop reconnaissance flights over Chinese coasts and explain the incident to the Chinese government, and that the two governments properly settle the issue by taking the general situation into consideration. But the US must take full responsibility and apologize for the incident.
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