Australia will ignore China air defense zone

Australian military aircraft will continue to fly over disputed waters in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea), even if Beijing imposes an air defense identification zone (ADIZ), a top defense official said on Monday.

A day after demanding an end to Beijing’s island-building in contested waters during a key security conference in Singapore, Defense Minister Kevin Andrews said Australia would not heed any ADIZ, which Beijing has reserved the right to declare, a report posted on the website of the Sydney Morning Herald said.