There's a de facto standoff going on in the Yellow Sea since last October [0] over the PRC-SK maritime boundary.

American, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian [0][1][2][3] forces have been running sorties over the Yellow, East, and East China Seas for the past several months now.

The ADIZ acts as an intimidation tactic to both SK and Japan, especially as Korean [5][6] and Japanese [6][7] perceptions of China grow increasingly negative.

[0] - https://amti.csis.org/continued-korea-china-standoffs-in-the...

[1] - https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2026/02/19/WXCDRO...

[2] - https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/russian-b...

[3] - https://www.reuters.com/world/china/japan-says-it-held-joint...

[4] - https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-criticises-chinese-ra...

[5] - https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-11-26/nationa...

[6] - https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2025/07/15/views-of-china...

[7] - https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/politics-government...