South Korea says it has extended its air defence zone to overlap in part with a similar zone declared recently by China.<br /><br />Beijing’s new zone including islands claimed by Japan has brought international protests.<br /><br />South Korea says its move does not infringe on neighbouring countries’ sovereignty.<br /><br />“This modified Korean Air Defence Identification Zone is in line with the international aviation order and international regulations,” said South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok.<br /><br />US B-52 bombers have already tested the Chinese zone. <br /><br />South Korea’s reaction has been more measured; Beijing is Seoul’s largest trading partner.<br /><br />The new extended zone will come into effect next weekend and the defence ministry says it will not affect commercial flights.<br /><br />Chinese television has shown pictures of its country’s own military drills in the East China Sea, where rival territorial claims have strained relations with its neighbours. <br /><br />Last week Beijing warned South Korea to conform to international law, insisting its own defence zone was legal. <br /><br />All foreign aircraft are expected to submit to demands by Chinese authorities, rules that have been ignored by the US, Japan and South Korea.
