A legal analysis of the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) with special reference to East China Sea Air Defense identification Zone

Abstract

The establishment of the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) by China on 23 November 2017 was not well received and has drawn harsh criticisms from the USA, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. There are also apprehensions that China may in the future establish an ADIZ in the already troubled South China Sea. This paper traces the origin of the ADIZ and its rationale and examines its legal basis under international law. It finds that despite the absence of a clear permissive or prohibitive rule of international law on the ADIZ, the states have established the ADIZs for the protection of their national security interests and other states have not generally contested them. India has also established the ADIZs in the airspace above its land territory, territorial sea, and waters beyond its territorial sea. East China Sea ADIZ is problematic because it deviates from the normal ADIZs and is established in disputed areas of the East China Sea”. The paper concludes that the problems caused by the ADIZs like East China Sea ADIZ can be limited to a greater degree if the community of states agrees to have a clear multilateral legal framework governing the ADIZs.