Japan’s defense ministry reported that it scrambled jets on Monday morning in response to a Chinese Y-9 reconnaissance aircraft that briefly violated Japanese airspace. The incident occurred over the Danjo Islands, west of Kyushu, between 11:29 a.m. and 11:31 a.m. This marks the first known incursion by a Chinese military aircraft into Japan’s airspace.
In response, the Japanese government lodged a formal protest with Beijing through diplomatic channels. Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano also summoned a senior official from the Chinese embassy in Tokyo to express Japan’s strong objections and demand measures to prevent future breaches. Chinese foreign ministry officials were not immediately available for comment.