Tokyo and Beijing recently exchanged diplomatic protests. Both accused the other of violating national airspace. The confrontation involved a Chinese helicopter and coast guard vessels facing off with a Japanese aircraft near disputed islands.
Diplomatic protests over airspace violations
The islands are located in the East China Sea. In China, they are known as the Diaoyu Islands. In Japan, they are called the Senkaku Islands. Japan administers them, but China claims ownership. The area is often a source of tension between the two nations.
On 4th May, China’s foreign ministry issued a statement. It said it had lodged a formal protest with the Japanese embassy. The protest followed a civilian aircraft entering the airspace of the Diaoyu Islands. China called this an “illegal infringement.”
The day before, Japan’s foreign ministry issued a statement. It revealed that its vice-minister had filed a strong protest with the Chinese ambassador to Japan. The protest concerned the entry of four Chinese Coast Guard vessels into Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands. Japan also objected to a helicopter launched from one of the vessels. Japan urged China to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Escalating tensions in the East China Sea
Japan’s Ministry of Defence reported that a Chinese helicopter entered Japanese airspace on 3rd May. It remained in the airspace for about 15 minutes near the Senkaku Islands. In response, Japan’s Self-Defence Forces scrambled fighter jets.
According to public broadcaster NHK and other media outlets, this marks the first time a Chinese government helicopter has violated Japanese airspace in the region.
China’s Coast Guard also reported an incident on 3rd May. It claimed it had deployed a helicopter to “expel” a Japanese plane from the area surrounding the disputed islands. A spokesperson for the Chinese Coast Guard, Liu Dejun, said a Japanese civilian aircraft “illegally entered” the airspace at 11:19 am. The aircraft left the area five minutes later.
China frequently announces that it has driven away Japanese vessels and aircraft. However, Japanese officials have said these reports are sometimes exaggerated or untrue. Unnamed Japanese sources suggested that Beijing may have reacted to a small Japanese civilian aircraft flying near the islands.
The East China Sea continues to be a hotspot for tense encounters between Chinese and Japanese patrol vessels. These tensions, along with disputes in the East and South China Seas, have led Japan to strengthen its ties with the Philippines and the United States.
