中国可能会划设南海防空识别区

China has mooted the possibility of controlling the airspace over the disputed South China Sea, as it ratchets up rhetoric in response to a US overflight of an island claimed by China earlier this month.

中国提出了在有争议的南中国海控制空域的可能性。针对本月早些时候美国侦察机飞越中国宣称拥有主权的一个岛屿，中国正提高声调。

A senior foreign ministry official spoke on Wednesday about the possibility of implementing an Air Defence Identification Zone over the sea, a move that would be widely regarded as an effort to stamp its sovereignty over a series of islands it claims. An ADIZ requires all aircraft flying through it to identify themselves to the controlling government.

中国外交部一名高级官员周三发表讲话，谈到划设南海防空识别区的可能性，此举将被广泛视为中国对其宣称属于本国的一连串岛屿主张主权的努力。防空识别区将要求所有飞越的飞机向实施控制的政府报告自己的身份。

“China has the right to establish ADIZs,” said Ouyang Yujing, director of boundaries and oceanic affairs for the foreign ministry, in an interview published in a Chinese newspaper.

“中国拥有划设防空识别区的权利，”外交部边界与海洋事务司司长欧阳玉靖在中国报纸刊登的采访中表示。

“Whether or not China will establish a South China Sea ADIZ will depend on factors such as whether China’s air safety is under threat, and the seriousness of the threat,” he said. However, he added, the area remained stable for the time being.

“中方将来是否划设‘南海防空识别区’取决于空中安全是否受到威胁和威胁程度及其他各方面因素，”他说。不过他补充说，当前南海局势总体稳定。

While not the first time a Chinese official had broached the topic of an ADIZ, experts say it was significant that it has come at a time of heightened tensions this month following an overflight of China-claimed islands by a US P-8 spy plane carrying a camera crew from CNN.

尽管这不是中国官员首次讨论防空识别区话题，但专家们表示，此次讲话意义重大，因为它发生在本月美国一架搭载CNN摄制组的P-8侦察机飞越中国宣称拥有主权的岛屿之后、紧张局势加剧之际。

The US is also considering flying surveillance missions even closer to the islands, as well as sailing warships within a few miles of them, as part of a new, more robust US military posture in the area.

美国还考虑展开更接近这些岛屿的空中侦察，以及让军舰航行至距离岛屿仅几英里的地方，作为美军在南海更强悍的新姿态的一部分。

Rory Medcalf, head of the National Security College at the Australian National University, said the re-emergence of the prospect of a new ADIZ was a calculated signal from Beijing.

澳大利亚国立大学(Australian National University)国家安全学院(National Security College)院长罗里•梅德卡夫(Rory Medcalf)表示，重提划设南海防空识别区，是北京方面有心发出的一个信号。

“It is significant for a senior Chinese official to not categorically deny that the ADIZ is an option [for the South China Sea],” he said, “and it’s significant for a Chinese official to link this to the actions of other states. In effect they are laying the diplomatic groundwork for such a move if China is not happy with the way the tensions play out.”

“一个中国高级官员没有明确否认防空识别区是（中国在南中国海问题上的）一个选项，此举意义重大，”他表示，“而一名中国官员把这件事与其它国家的行动联系起来，也相当重大。他们实际上在为这样的举措——如果中国对紧张局势演变的方向感到不快的话——进行外交铺垫。”

A South China Sea ADIZ would be its second over a disputed maritime area. In November 2013, China stunned its neighbours when it announced an ADIZ over the East China Sea covering islands that are also claimed by Japan.

南海防空识别区将是中国第二次在有争议的海域划设防空识别区。2013年11月，中国宣布在东中国海划设防空识别区，覆盖日本宣称拥有主权的岛屿，此举令邻国震惊。

Dozens of islands — most no more than remote coral atolls — dot the South China Sea and are claimed by China, Vietnam, the Philippines and other neighbouring states. China has brought in advanced dredging equipment to reclaim land and has nearly built an airstrip on one island known internationally as Fiery Cross Reef.

南中国海散布着数十个岛屿——多数只不过是偏僻的珊瑚环礁——中国、越南、菲律宾和其它周边国家都宣称拥有这些岛屿。中国已出动先进的疏浚设备进行填海造岛，还在永暑礁(Fiery Cross Reef)差不多建造了一个简易机场。

Gary Li, an independent expert on international security matters in Beijing, said the announcement of a possible ADIZ appeared to be a “tit for tat” in response to the US overflight this month.

驻北京的国际安全事务独立专家Gary Li表示，宣布可能划设防空识别区，似乎是对本月美国飞机飞越的“针锋相对”的回应。

“This is probably them saying ‘if you’re going to carry on doing that, then we’re going to push forward this plan — now we might actually do it’,” he said.

“他们仿佛在说：‘如果你们打算继续这样做的话，我们将推进这个计划——这次我们可能真的这么做，”他表示。

Experts link the airstrip on Fiery Cross to eventual ambitions to set up an ADIZ. “I don’t see them going ahead with this until they can enforce it, and the only way they could enforce it is with this runway,” said Mr Li, although he said basing interceptors would be an “extremely provocative step”.

专家们早已将永暑礁上的简易机场与划设防空识别区的最终目标联系起来。“我不认为他们会在有能力维护防空识别区之前推进这个计划，而他们唯一能够维护防空识别区的方式是借助这个简易机场，”Gary Li表示，尽管他表示，在永暑礁部署截击机将是“非常挑衅的一步”。

When it announced the East China Sea ADIZ, China was unable to enforce it days later when the US flew two B-52 bombers through the zone.

中国宣布划设东海防空识别区的几天后，美国在不打招呼的情况下出动两架B-52轰炸机飞越，而中国无法维护该防空识别区。

On Tuesday the Chinese People’s Liberation Army unveiled a muscular new strategic doctrine that envisaged increasingly far-flung military operations, including “open-seas defence”.

周二，中国的解放军公布了一套强硬的新版战略，展望越来越遥远的军事行动，包括“远海护卫”。