Japan has accused China of violating its airspace for the first time ever. On Monday, Japan’s defense ministry reported that a Chinese Y-9 surveillance aircraft breached Japanese airspace off the Danjo Islands in Nagasaki Prefecture at 11:29 a.m. The intrusion lasted for two minutes, prompting Japan to deploy fighter jets on an emergency basis, according to local media.
The aircraft was observed circling over waters southeast of the Danjo Islands both before and after the airspace violation, and it eventually headed back toward China around 1:15 p.m. Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) fighters did not use weapons or signal flares in response.
This incident could heighten tensions between Japan and China, which have seen repeated maritime provocations in the region. Japan’s Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano summoned China’s acting ambassador late on Monday to deliver an “extremely serious protest” and to request measures to prevent a recurrence, according to the Japanese foreign ministry.
Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported previous incursions by non-military Chinese aircraft, including a propeller-driven marine surveillance plane and a small drone from a China Coast Guard vessel, into airspace near the disputed Senkaku Islands in 2012 and 2017. These previous incidents did not involve direct airspace violations by military aircraft.
Kyodo news agency cited a Japanese defense ministry source speculating that China might be attempting to provoke a reaction from Japan, while another government source suggested that the aircraft might have merely strayed off course and briefly entered Japanese airspace.
China’s increasingly assertive actions in the region, particularly concerning Taiwan, have raised concerns among the US and its allies. Japan, a member of the Quad alliance with India, Australia, and the US, plays a key role in countering Beijing’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.
The Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, administered by Japan, are claimed by China, leading to frequent confrontations between Japanese and Chinese vessels. The islands, known as Diaoyu in China, include Uotsuri Island, Minamikojima, and Kitakojima.
In related news, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is scheduled to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing today.