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Biden Arrives in China Seeking Restraint Over New Air Zone Biden Arrives in China, Seeking Restraint Over New Air Zone
(about 9 hours later)
BEIJING — Shuttling from one feuding neighbor to the other, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. arrived here from Tokyo on Wednesday to appeal to China’s leaders to show restraint in policing a new air defense zone in the East China Sea that has ignited tensions with Japan.BEIJING — Shuttling from one feuding neighbor to the other, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. arrived here from Tokyo on Wednesday to appeal to China’s leaders to show restraint in policing a new air defense zone in the East China Sea that has ignited tensions with Japan.
Mr. Biden is scheduled to meet and have dinner with President Xi Jinping, with whom he developed friendly ties when Mr. Xi was China’s vice president and designated future leader. At this meeting, however, Mr. Biden prepared to deliver a stern message. After a meeting with President Xi Jinping that was scheduled for 45 minutes but lasted two hours, a solemn, weary-sounding Mr. Biden made no mention of the dispute, but said the relationship between the United States and China “ultimately has to be based on trust, and a positive notion about the motive of one another.”
In Tokyo on Tuesday, he expressed deep American misgivings with the Chinese air defense identification zone, which he said was an effort to “unilaterally change the status quo in the East China Sea” and raises “the risk of accidents and miscalculation.” Mr. Xi, who cultivated unusually personal ties to Mr. Biden when he was China’s vice president, sounded a more upbeat note about the broader relationship, though he conceded that “regional hot-spot issues keep cropping up.” The United States and China, he said, needed to “appropriately handle sensitive issues and differences between us.”
Mr. Biden stopped short of calling on China to rescind the restricted zone, something it is highly unlikely to do, given the nationalist sentiments that have been aroused by its standoff with Japan. But the United States has refused to recognize the zone, dispatching B-52 bombers last week to fly through the contested airspace. From the scripted diplomatic language, it was difficult to tell whether Mr. Biden’s meeting had reduced tensions over the new air defense zone, which the vice president said a day earlier in Tokyo was an effort to “unilaterally change the status quo in the East China Sea” and raised “the risk of accidents and miscalculation.”
Hours after Mr. Biden arrived, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the new air defense zone was a fact of life that the world needed to accept. The spokesman at the ministry, Hong Lei, described it as a “zone of cooperation, and not confrontation.”
Since the zone was announced on Nov. 23, 55 airlines from 19 countries had provided China with flight information, the spokesman said. The Federal Aviation Administration has advised American carriers to comply with China’s request when flying into the airspace, though the United States does not recognize its legitimacy.
In Tokyo, Mr. Biden stopped short of calling on China to rescind the zone, something it is highly unlikely to do, given the nationalist sentiments that have been aroused by its standoff with Japan. But the United States has refused to recognize the zone, dispatching B-52 bombers last week to fly through the contested airspace.
The vice president’s goal appears to be to neutralize the destabilizing impact of the air defense zone in the region by persuading the Chinese authorities to stop scrambling fighter jets or otherwise disrupt the busy air corridors between Japan and China.The vice president’s goal appears to be to neutralize the destabilizing impact of the air defense zone in the region by persuading the Chinese authorities to stop scrambling fighter jets or otherwise disrupt the busy air corridors between Japan and China.
China also seemed eager to defuse tensions. On the eve of Mr. Biden’s visit, the Defense Ministry issued an unusual clarification, saying the zone “will not affect the freedom of overflight, based on international laws, of other countries’ aircraft.”China also seemed eager to defuse tensions. On the eve of Mr. Biden’s visit, the Defense Ministry issued an unusual clarification, saying the zone “will not affect the freedom of overflight, based on international laws, of other countries’ aircraft.”
The statement said that the Chinese military was “fully capable” of exercising control over the zone, a wide swath of the East China Sea, but it added that such deterrence would not always be needed. “Fighter planes are unnecessary,” it said, “when an entering aircraft is found to pose no threat to us, but necessary surveillance is needed.”The statement said that the Chinese military was “fully capable” of exercising control over the zone, a wide swath of the East China Sea, but it added that such deterrence would not always be needed. “Fighter planes are unnecessary,” it said, “when an entering aircraft is found to pose no threat to us, but necessary surveillance is needed.”
In Tokyo, Mr. Biden said that China and Japan needed “crisis management mechanisms and effective channels of communication” to avoid the risk of miscalculation. The countries have discussed a hotline, but the talks have gone nowhere.In Tokyo, Mr. Biden said that China and Japan needed “crisis management mechanisms and effective channels of communication” to avoid the risk of miscalculation. The countries have discussed a hotline, but the talks have gone nowhere.
“The only conflict that is worse than one that is intended is one that is unintended,” the vice president said as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, looking grave, stood next to him. “The only conflict that is worse than one that is intended is one that is unintended,” the vice president said as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stood next to him.
The Japanese government has called for China to roll back the zone. But Mr. Abe, perhaps seeking to project unity with Mr. Biden, did not repeat that demand Tuesday. The Japanese government has called for China to roll back the zone. But Mr. Abe, perhaps seeking to project unity with Mr. Biden, did not repeat that demand on Tuesday.
He said the United States and Japan had reaffirmed that they would not alter any joint military operations in the area. “We will not condone any action that will threaten the safety of civilian aircraft,” he added.He said the United States and Japan had reaffirmed that they would not alter any joint military operations in the area. “We will not condone any action that will threaten the safety of civilian aircraft,” he added.
That appeared to be an attempt to smooth over a disconnect between the United States and Japan over the Federal Aviation Administration’s guidance to American carriers that they identify themselves before entering the restricted zone. Officials in Tokyo have instructed Japanese carriers to ignore the Chinese demand. That appeared to be an attempt to smooth over a disconnect between the United States and Japan over the F.A.A.'s guidance to American carriers that they identify themselves before entering the restricted zone. Officials in Tokyo have instructed Japanese carriers to ignore the Chinese demand.
Obama administration officials insisted that there was no discord between the United States and Japan on how to respond to the Chinese zone. The aviation administration, they said, routinely gives guidance whenever a country issues a warning to ships and planes.Obama administration officials insisted that there was no discord between the United States and Japan on how to respond to the Chinese zone. The aviation administration, they said, routinely gives guidance whenever a country issues a warning to ships and planes.
“Nothing that the F.A.A. has done constitutes any acceptance or recognition of this,” said a senior administration official traveling with Mr. Biden. “The U.S. has clearly set forth that our military aircraft will continue to operate normally.”“Nothing that the F.A.A. has done constitutes any acceptance or recognition of this,” said a senior administration official traveling with Mr. Biden. “The U.S. has clearly set forth that our military aircraft will continue to operate normally.”
The Japanese government perceives the zone as an attempt by the Chinese to assert control over disputed islands, known in Japan as the Senkaku and in China as the Diaoyu. Japan has a long-established air defense identification zone that covers much of the East China Sea, including those islands.The Japanese government perceives the zone as an attempt by the Chinese to assert control over disputed islands, known in Japan as the Senkaku and in China as the Diaoyu. Japan has a long-established air defense identification zone that covers much of the East China Sea, including those islands.
Pointedly taking note of that, the Chinese Defense Ministry statement said that Japan’s actions, including “playing up the so-called China threat” and threatening to shoot down Chinese drones, had forced China to make “necessary reactions.”Pointedly taking note of that, the Chinese Defense Ministry statement said that Japan’s actions, including “playing up the so-called China threat” and threatening to shoot down Chinese drones, had forced China to make “necessary reactions.”
The dispute has raised tensions in the region to their highest level in nearly two decades. Some analysts said they believed that the Chinese government was caught off guard by the ferocity of the opposition from the United States, the European Union and Australia, on top of a predictably angry response by Japan and South Korea.The dispute has raised tensions in the region to their highest level in nearly two decades. Some analysts said they believed that the Chinese government was caught off guard by the ferocity of the opposition from the United States, the European Union and Australia, on top of a predictably angry response by Japan and South Korea.
But in Beijing, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, rejected suggestions that China rescind the defense zone, saying it was fully in compliance with international law. He suggested that China was open to the idea of establishing crisis management mechanisms. For Mr. Biden, it has been a distraction on a trip he had hoped would promote other issues, like a trans-Pacific trade agreement and efforts to curb the nuclear threat in North Korea.
Mr. Hong contended, however, that Japan was not. “The Japanese side unilaterally, on one hand, declares they want dialogue, but then they close the door to dialogue,” he said. Before his meetings at the Great Hall of the People, Mr. Biden dropped in on the consular section of the American Embassy to promote its efforts to streamline the issuing of visas, particularly to students seeking to study in the United States. He also delivered a pitch to a long line of people, many of them teenagers, waiting to submit applications
For Mr. Biden, the dispute has been a distraction on a trip he had hoped would promote a range of other issues, like a trans-Pacific trade agreement and efforts to curb the nuclear threat in North Korea. “We’re constantly looking for bright, intelligent, innovative young people to come to America and stay in America,” Mr. Biden said. “I hope you learn that innovation can only occur where you can breathe free, challenge the government, challenge religious leaders.”
Before leaving for his meetings at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Mr. Biden visited the consular section of the American Embassy to highlight the embassy’s efforts to streamline the issuing of visas, particularly to students seeking to study in the United States. Mr. Biden’s audience applauded respectfully, though his words were less relevant to them, since the embassy in Beijing only processes visas for temporary stays in the United States, not immigrant visas.

Jane Perlez contributed reporting.