US Vice President Joe Biden will directly convey to Chinese leaders US concerns over China's newly established air defense identification zone in the East China Sea, during his visit next week.
The United States has described China's declaration of the air zone as a unilateral attempt to change the status quo, and urged China to exercise restraint.
A senior US government official said on Wednesday that Biden will seek explanation from Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top figures during his week-long tour of Japan, China and South Korea that begins on Sunday.
The US official said China's newly-established zone is affecting South Korea and Taiwan as well as Japan.
And the official said the Vice President's visit will give China an opportunity to clarify its strategic intentions and how it plans to deal with civilian aircraft in the zone.
The official added that Biden will urge resumption of regional dialogue to help ease tensions between Japan and China and Japan and South Korea, which in turn would be in US national interests.
US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki on Wednesday criticized China for not consulting in advance with the United States in setting up the zone, despite the fact it overlaps with Japanese and South Korean zones and covers Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea.
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