In the final analysis, its current stance over China's ADIZ stems from what it sees as its obligation to stand shoulder to shoulder with Japan, its most important military ally in the Asia Pacific.

But it is unwise for a country to unquestioningly side with an ally, especially one that has developed a penchant for making trouble and provoking others as Japan has. It was Japan that chose to provoke China over the Diaoyu Islands in the first place, the demarcation of an ADIZ over the East China Sea was a justified countermeasure China had to take to defend its territorial waters.

By throwing its weight behind Tokyo, which has wrongly pointed an accusing finger at China's demarcation of an ADIZ, Washington is risking its improving relations with Beijing. Hence, the US might be advised to rethink its strategies in dealing with its allies and cooperative partners in the light of new changes in the world's security and political terrain.

Military alliances, as a legacy of the Cold War, are already an outdated concept in international relations. As China's Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin rightly pointed out last week, military alliances in Asia are no longer relevant. If the region's economic integration reaches the same level as the European Union there will be no need for them to exist, the senior Chinese diplomat said.

Washington has claimed it has an important stake in the Asia-Pacific region. But as an outside force, it needs to convince the entire region that it can play a constructive role here. It would be counterproductive if Washington only seeks to strengthen ties with old allies and not endeavor to build on sub-regional security mechanisms led by major regional players such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The author is a senior writer with China Daily. wanghui@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 12/09/2013 page8)