A Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Friday that China has the full capacity to effectively monitor its Air Defense Identification Zone after South Korea and Japan held a joint search-and-rescue exercise in the East China Sea the day before.

The exercise was carried out in an area where the China and Japan air defense identification zones overlap, and involved two warships and a helicopter from Japan and military equipment from South Korea. The Japanese military did not inform China about its use of a helicopter.

"China is monitoring the ADIZ effectively right now," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a daily news briefing, reiterating China's firm determination to secure its territory and territorial airspace.

Committed to maintain the peace, order and stability of the region and relevant airspace, China hopes all parties can make similar efforts, rather than the opposite, the spokesman said.

In anther development, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US Vice-President Joe Biden reaffirmed in a teleconference on Thursday that the two countries will strengthen their cooperation in addressing China's ADIZ.

The issue dominated a trip to Japan, China and South Korea that Biden made earlier this month.

Over the phone, Biden reiterated US support for steps to reduce regional tension, such as new bilateral mechanisms for crisis communication.

"The vice-president also reinforced the importance of trilateral security cooperation among the US, Japan and the Republic of Korea, and noted our continued support for improved relations between Tokyo and Seoul," a statement from Biden's office said.

China Daily-Agencies

(China Daily 12/14/2013 page8)