More Warplanes Enter China Zone

After the US, Japan, and South Korea all managed to fly through China's newly declared air defense zone over the East China Sea issue-free, China has been left embarrassed, reports the AP—and, it seems, finally ready to respond. It sent warplanes of its own, as well as an early warning aircraft, into the zone yesterday, per a rep for China's air force. He described the flights as "a defensive measure and in line with international common practices."

Reuters adds that he emphasized that the air force is prepared to "take measures to deal with diverse air threats to firmly protect the security of the country's airspace." But a rep for the Defense Ministry says the suggestion that China is prepared to shoot down aircraft that don't follow its rules is "incorrect." (More East China Sea stories.)