US involvement in China zone ‘disastrous’

The United States�™ involvement in the East China Sea dispute is absolutely unwarranted and could have �œdisastrous consequences,” an analyst says.

�œThe US involvement is completely gratuitous. It is an effort to exploit these differences between Japan and China in order to enforce the encirclement of China which is part of the new strategy that the Obama administration has annunciated, the so-called �˜pivot�™,” said James Petras, a retired sociology professor in New York.

�œThis is a dangerous game, not only because of the US military superiority, but also because China has many powerful economic levers, including over $2 trillion in US treasury notes,” Petras said.

�œSo while the US may get its way militarily, the Chinese can retaliate by sinking the dollar, by selling off treasury notes, and that will escalate the conflict even further.”

On November 23, China announced a controversial new Air Defense Identification Zone, which requires that all aircraft flying over the East China Sea report their flight plans to China, maintain two-way radio and clearly mark their nationalities on the aircraft. China has warned it will take “defensive measures” if their orders are ignored.

However, the United Stated, Japan and South Korea have all rejected China’s demand.

The US military has been conducting daily flights through China�™s newly declared air-defense zone without notifying Beijing authorities in advance, a US defense official said Friday.

On Monday, a pair of American B-52 bombers entered the defense zone without informing the Chinese government.

�œThe danger of a military conflict is very high and I think it�™s very important that cooler heads intervene in this because I think the consequences are disastrous for both the peoples in the United States, Japan and in China,” Petras said.

AHT/HJ

Source: Press TV