GT Exclusive

The Global Times learned from sources on Friday that the US military recently organized aircraft to conduct activities in the airspace facing China over the Yellow Sea. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), in accordance with laws and regulations, organized naval and air forces to conduct monitoring and alerting throughout the entire process, and effectively responded to and handled the situation.

Military experts interviewed by the Global Times said the US' move may be aimed at creating tension during the holidays, while the PLA's high-level combat readiness once again demonstrates the PLA's firm resolve to safeguard national security.

Global Times reporters noted two unusual points behind the news. First, according to a report by Yonhap News Agency on Friday, the US military aircraft involved belonged to the US Forces Korea (USFK), and it is unusual for US Air Force forces stationed in South Korea to conduct independent training near China's air defense identification zone (ADIZ); Second, the Chinese military responded very quickly, which demonstrates that the PLA "stands ready at all times" and the combat readiness string is pulled even tighter during holidays.

Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times on Friday that information from both China and South Korea shows the USFK operation took place in the western waters of the Korean Peninsula, namely the Yellow Sea, where China and South Korea have set up their respective ADIZs. USFK has rarely held military activities in this area before, and the targeted nature of such operations is obvious, he noted.

"US military operations in the Yellow Sea usually serve two purposes: first, to conduct close-in reconnaissance in an attempt to monitor and grasp China's maritime, aerial and land military developments; second, to exert strategic pressure and maintain a military deterrence posture against China by approaching China's territorial seas and airspace," military expert Zhang Junshe told the Global Times on Friday.

Song analyzed the operation from a tactical perspective. "The US has long regarded South Korea's ADIZ as its own territory. Its military operations in the area are aimed at simulating interception of aircraft from other countries entering the zone. But if the US military shifts from defense to offense and attempts to trespass into China's ADIZ, the nature will be completely different," Song said.

Both experts said that such activities pose a direct threat to China's maritime and aerial security. Zhang said that "in accordance with international practice, China normally dispatches military aircraft, vessels and other forces to track, monitor, warn and drive away US reconnaissance platforms to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial security."

On Friday morning, the Yonhap News Agency published a report which, citing multiple South Korean military sources, claimed that while the USFK was conducting air training in international airspace over the Yellow Sea, China dispatched fighter jets, resulting in a brief standoff between US and Chinese forces. According to the report, more than ten F-16 fighter jets of the USFK conducted separate drills on Wednesday. Taking off from Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, the F-16 formation flew to the high seas of the Yellow Sea and entered an area between the South Korea's ADIZ and China's ADIZ where the two zones do not overlap. As the USFK aircraft approached China's ADIZ, the Chinese side also scrambled fighter jets, leading to a brief standoff, though neither side entered the other's ADIZ, per the report.

The Chinese military responded swiftly to the incident, releasing crucial information and PLA's response measures — full tracking, monitoring and vigilance in strict accordance with laws and regulations. Zhang said that, according to South Korean media reports, the US military aircraft operated in the airspace of the Yellow Sea facing China on Wednesday, the second day of the Chinese New Year. The USFK deliberately chose to carry out close-in activities during China's major festival in an attempt to disrupt the festive atmosphere and create tension. "The PLA has demonstrated a combat-ready state of vigilance and full readiness in both operations and public response," Zhang said.

Zhang added that "history and reality have both proved that the more the whole nation celebrates, the more the military needs to build a strong security barrier; the more peaceful the environment, the more soldiers must maintain combat readiness."

Public reports show that during every major festival, the Chinese military strengthens its combat readiness level and alert posture to ensure rapid and effective responses to any emergencies. On Tuesday, the first day of the Chinese New Year, the WeChat official account of the Ministry of National Defense released a short video titled "Always Ready," indicating that the army, the navy, the air force and other services are on constant alert and always "awaiting the order to act."

"These measures are necessary actions to defend national sovereignty and security. They also ensure that the people can spend the festival in peace and joy, while maintaining the normal order of social life," Zhang said.