Japan has accused a Chinese surveillance aircraft of breaching its airspace, marking what appears to be the first known instance of a Chinese plane directly violating Japanese territory. The incident occurred on Monday at 11:29 local time (02:29 GMT), when a Y-9 reconnaissance aircraft allegedly entered the airspace over the Danjo islands. In response, Japan scrambled fighter jets.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary strongly condemned the breach, calling it "utterly unacceptable" and summoning a representative from the Chinese embassy in Tokyo to lodge a formal protest.
This event occurs amidst growing tensions in the region, where China is vying for influence against the US and its allies, including Japan. So far, Beijing has not issued an official response to the incident.
The airspace violation lasted for about two minutes, during which Japanese forces issued "notifications and warnings" to the Chinese aircraft. According to NHK, no weapons, such as flare guns, were deployed.
In recent times, Japan has also raised concerns over the presence of Chinese vessels near the Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, an area claimed by China, where it refers to the islands as the Diaoyus. China's assertiveness in the region has been increasing, particularly in relation to its territorial claims over Taiwan and the South China Sea.
