Vice President Joe Biden has wrapped up a visit to China with a spat over an air defense zone still unresolved. The United States recently flew two warplanes over the disputed East China Sea, defying a Chinese demand that it must be notified. The United States, Japan and several other governments have rejected China’s claim to an “air defense zone” over the area. China’s Foreign Ministry says it told Biden the government’s position is firm. Speaking to a group of U.S. corporate executives in China, Biden said the row has increased regional tensions. He added the United States has a major stake in the dispute because of its enduring status as a world power.

Vice President Joe Biden: “China’s recent and sudden announcement of the establishment of a new air defense identification zone has, to state the obvious, caused significant apprehension in the region. And I was very direct about our firm position and our expectations in my conversations with President Xi. The United States has a profound stake in what happens here, because we need and we are and we’ll remain a Pacific power diplomatically, economically and militarily. That’s just a statement of fact.”