China No. 1 close reconnaissance target for US – think tank

 

China has become the “No. 1 targeted country” of US close reconnaissance, according the National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS). More than 700 patrols were conducted by US vessels and aircraft in the South China Sea region in 2015.

 

“Such [US] activities have not only threatened China’s national security, damaged China’s relevant maritime rights and interests and undermined Sino-US strategic mutual trust, but is also very likely to lead to accidental collisions at sea or in the air, making it an important negative factor affecting Sino-US relations and also peace and stability in the region,” a report by the Chinese government think tank warned.

“China could possibly set up an Air Defense Identification Zone in the South China Sea if the US continues to intensify patrols and low-altitude spying in the region,” NISCSS head Wu Shicun told reporters in Beijing.