Chinese fighter ‘flies within 50km’ of disputed Diaoyu Islands
Such a close approach to Japanese airspace by PLA aircraft is unusual, government source in Tokyo says
Chinese jet fighters have approached the disputed Diaoyu Islands several times since late May, with one flying within 50km of Japan’s territorial airspace around the islets, a source in the Japanese government has said.
Tokyo scrambled its Air Self-Defence Force (ASDF) fighters in response, the source said, adding that it was “abnormal” for Chinese aircraft to get so close to the nation’s territorial airspace.
Chinese military planes had approached the islets in the East China Sea, which Japan calls the Senkaku Islands, more than three times since late May, the source said on Saturday.
Japan searches for eight Chinese fishermen missing off disputed East China Sea islands
Between April and June, Japan scrambled fighters against Chinese aircraft approaching its airspace a record 199 times, compared to 198 times in the preceding three months, the Defence Ministry said.
The eight uninhabited islands are claimed by mainland China, Taiwan and Japan.
In a white paper released by the defence ministry this month, Japan criticised China’s activities in the sea as “high-handed” unilateral actions that attempted to alter the status quo by force.
‘Provocative actions’: China confirms military encounter with Japanese jets in East China Sea ADIZ
Kunio Orita, a former head of the Air Support Command, published a report online in late June, saying a scrambled ASDF plane left the area while employing a countermeasure to avoid a possible missile attack. The ministry has denied the report.