Japan's Ministry of Defence reported that at 11:29 am on Monday, a Chinese Y-9 surveillance aircraft breached Japan's territorial airspace over the Danjo Islands in Nagasaki Prefecture, located in the East China Sea. The incursion lasted approximately two minutes.
Tokyo's Response:
On Monday, Japan announced that a Chinese military aircraft had violated its airspace, marking the first such incident involving a Chinese aircraft. In response to the incursion, Japan scrambled fighter jets on an emergency basis, as reported by the Kyodo news outlet.
This incident may escalate tensions between Japan and China, especially in light of ongoing maritime provocations by China in the region, as stated by state media.
Details of the Incident:
Before and after the airspace violation, the aircraft flew multiple circuits over waters southeast of the Danjo Islands, eventually heading back towards China around 1:15 pm. The Japanese Ministry of Defence confirmed that the Japanese Air Self-Defence Force (ASDF) fighters did not use any weapons or signal flares during the incident.
Japan's Vice Foreign Minister, Masataka Okano, summoned China's acting ambassador on Monday evening to file a "serious protest" and demanded measures to prevent future occurrences, according to a statement from Japan's foreign ministry.
NHK, the Japanese public broadcaster, reported previous airspace violations involving non-military Chinese aircraft, including a propeller-powered marine surveillance plane and a small drone launched from a China Coast Guard vessel near the disputed Senkaku Islands in 2012 and 2017.
Kyodo news agency quoted a Japanese Defence Ministry source suggesting that China "might be attempting to provoke a response from Japan," while another government source speculated the aircraft may have inadvertently strayed into Japan's airspace.
China's increasingly assertive actions in the region, particularly regarding Taiwan, have raised concerns among the United States and its allies.
Japan, a member of the Quad alliance alongside India, Australia, and the US, is viewed as a counterbalance to China's growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Senkaku Islands Dispute:
The Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, administered by Japan, are also claimed by China, leading to numerous confrontations between Japanese and Chinese vessels. This group of contested islands, which includes Uotsuri Island, Minamikojima, and Kitakojima, is known in China as the Diaoyu Islands.
Meanwhile, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is scheduled to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing today.
