WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Saturday that the U.S. military would not change how it conducts operations in the East China Sea after what he called a "destabilizing" attempt by China to alter the status quo in the region.
China earlier on Saturday imposed new rules on airspace over islands at the heart of a dispute with U.S. ally Japan in the East China Sea, warning of "defensive emergency measures" against aircraft that do not comply with identification procedures.
"We view this development as a destabilizing attempt to alter the status quo in the region. This unilateral action increases the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculations," Hagel said in a statement.
"This announcement by the People's Republic of China will not in any way change how the United States conducts military operations in the region."
(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Peter Cooney)