China Blasts US Ally Over Spying in Air Defense Zone
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
China has accused Japan—a United States treaty ally in Northeast Asia—of sending spy planes to its so-called Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the contested East China Sea.
The remarks from Beijing come after Tokyo said YS-11EB intelligence-gathering aircraft had experienced close aerial encounters with Chinese planes while conducting surveillance over the region last week.
Newsweek has reached out to the Japanese Defense Ministry for further comment via email.
Why It Matters
Japan forms part of a defensive island line known as the First Island Chain under a U.S. containment strategy that aims to restrict China's military activities in its immediate waters, including the East China Sea, which lies off China's eastern coast and separates it from Japan.
The East Asian neighbors have two ongoing disputes in the East China Sea: one over the sovereignty of the uninhabited Senkaku island group—administered by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing as the Diaoyu Islands—and the other over energy exploration in the region.
In 2013, China established an ADIZ—for the purpose of identification and early warning—over international waters in the East China Sea, outside its territorial airspace. The zone overlaps with those of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, a Newsweek map shows.
What To Know
In a statement released on Sunday, Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Defense Ministry, claimed that Japan Air Self-Defense Force reconnaissance aircraft had entered China's ADIZ in the East China Sea multiple times for what the official called "close-in reconnaissance."
Regarding the close aerial encounters between Japanese and Chinese aircraft that occurred on Wednesday and Thursday, the Chinese spokesperson defended the actions taken by his country's military.
"Chinese aircraft responded by verifying, identifying, following, and monitoring [the Japanese aircraft]," the spokesperson said, adding that those actions were "fully justified, reasonable, professional, and standardized." The Chinese aircraft involved on both occasions were identified by Japan as JH-7 fighter-bombers.
The Chinese official said the Japanese military's close-in reconnaissance and interference were the "root causes" of air and sea safety risks affecting the two militaries. China's Defense Ministry has not yet released any footage or images of the close aerial encounters.
It remains unclear how close the Japanese YS-11EB aircraft were to China's territorial airspace, which extends 13.8 miles from its East China Sea coastline.
A Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber flies close to a Japanese YS-11EB intelligence-gathering aircraft over the East China Sea on July 9, 2025.
A Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber flies close to a Japanese YS-11EB intelligence-gathering aircraft over the East China Sea on July 9, 2025.
Japan's Defense Ministry
Japan has been closely monitoring China's military activities around the First Island Chain, including the recent tracking of two Chinese aircraft carriers in the broader Western Pacific Ocean, during which Chinese fighter jets intercepted a Japanese patrol aircraft in early June.
What People Are Saying
Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Defense Ministry, said in a statement on Sunday: "We hope that the Japanese side will work with the Chinese side to create a proper atmosphere for the stable development of bilateral relations."
Japan's Defense Ministry said in a statement on Thursday of the Chinese interceptions: "Such an unusual approach by Chinese military aircraft could provoke an accidental collision."
What Happens Next
Japan is likely to continue its spy flights over the East China Sea as disputes with China remain unresolved. Aerial encounters between the two sides are expected to occur again.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Number of Canadians with favourable view of U.S. has fallen, poll suggests
WASHINGTON — Amid months of tariffs and taunts from U.S. President Donald Trump, a new poll suggests the percentage of Canadians who have a favourable view of the United States has fallen and is now on par with the number who think positively about China. The survey by the Pew Research Center suggests one-third of Canadians — 34 per cent — now have a favourable view of the United States. It marks a 20 percentage point decrease from last year. The same percentage of Canadians had favourable views of China — a 13 point increase. "For the last few years … many people have preferred the U.S. to China by a sizable margin,' said Laura Silver, associate director of global attitudes research at the Washington-based research centre. Now, she said, "there's no daylight between the two." Pew polled people in 25 countries and the survey found positive views of China increased in more than half the nations. There was also an increase in people who viewed Chinese President Xi Jinping favourably. "This is the first real tick up that we've seen that we would describe as an increase across the board," Silver said. Trump returned to the White House with an agenda to realign global trade and upend geopolitics by targeting friend and foe alike. Critics of Trump's tactics have said the ongoing instability will push countries to form closer ties with China. Canada was an early target with Trump repeatedly calling former prime minister Justin Trudeau "governor" and insisting Canada should become a U.S. state. The president hit Canada and Mexico with duties he linked to fentanyl trafficking in March, only to walk back the tariffs for goods that comply with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade a few days later. Trump took his trade war to the world in April with so-called "reciprocal" tariffs but paused the devastating duties a few hours later saying it would give time for countries to make a deal with America. He kept in place a 10 per cent tariff for most countries. China was hit by the hardest duties, prompting a brief but escalated tariff standoff between the world's two largest economies. The U.S. president has been sending out letters to nations suggesting they will be hit with high duty rates if no deal is made by Aug. 1. Trump did go ahead with specific tariffs targeting steel, aluminum and automobile imports, with copper duties also set to come into place on Aug. 1. Pew, a non-partisan think tank, surveyed 28,333 adults across 24 countries – not including the United States – from Jan. 8 to April 26 by phone, online and in person. The centre also surveyed 3,605 Americans from March 24 to March 30 by phone, online and in person. The poll reports 26 per cent of all people surveyed said they had confidence in the Chinese president, while 22 per cent said the same for Trump. "That reflects both a rising view of Xi and a quite dramatically negative view of Trump," Silver said. The changing views were especially stark in Mexico, where 45 per cent of people said it's more important for their country to have strong economic ties with China than with the U.S. — up from 37 per cent in 2019 and 15 per cent in 2015. Canada's relationship with China was roiled during the first Trump administration when in 2018 Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig were taken into custody in China. It followed the arrest of Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in British Columbia at the request of the United States. Silver said the 2025 polling is the first time there hasn't been a wide gap in how Canadians view the world's two largest economies since the relationship with China took a "nosedive." The Pew Research Center survey found the share of Canadians who said the U.S. was more important for economic ties had dropped to 67 per cent from 87 per cent in 2019. "Now, while it's still a majority, it's down more than 20 percentage points with a corresponding rise in the share who prefer China," Silver said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2025. Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Newsweek
14 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Two Democrats Tie as Frontrunners If Kamala Harris Passes on 2028 Run—Poll
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Former Vice President Kamala Harris choosing not to run for president would leave two high-profile Democrats tied as frontrunners in the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, according to a new poll. Why It Matters Harris' decision about whether to run for president again could be a major factor in how competitive the 2028 primary will be. Most polls show her as an early frontrunner, though some suggest her lead has slipped as voters eye other candidates. Harris, however, has not said for sure she plans to run again and has also been floated as a California gubernatorial candidate in 2026. The poll, conducted by Echelon Insights, comes as the party remains divided about the best way to move forward. While some Democrats believe the party lost 2024 due to moving too far left, more progressive Democrats say losses stemmed from voters believing the party abandoned the working class. The divide has left Democrats with little direction and no clear leader ahead of the primaries. What to Know If Harris ultimately decides to make another go at the White House, she would have an advantage over other Democrats, according to the poll, which found her leading with 26 percent support. However, if she does not, California Governor Gavin Newsom and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg would emerge as frontrunners with support of 12 percent of respondents. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat who is a favorite among more progressive Democrats, placed third at 9 percent. California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks to reporters in Atlanta, Georgia on June 27, 2024. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg attends a House committee hearing on April 30, 2024 in Washington, D.C. California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks to reporters in Atlanta, Georgia on June 27, 2024. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg attends a House committee hearing on April 30, 2024 in Washington, D.C.;New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro followed at 8 percent, 7 percent and 5 percent, respectively. No other candidate cracked 5 percent support. The poll surveyed 1,084 likely voters from June 10 to July 14, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. Newsom and Buttigieg have both fueled speculation they could run in 2028 over the past few months. Earlier in July, Newsom traveled to early-voting South Carolina to tour counties across the state. Buttigieg, meanwhile, opted against running for elected office in Michigan, where he now resides after serving in former President Joe Biden's administration. Candidates have already begun fundraising and making these early steps, even as the primary remains years away. A recent Emerson College poll found Buttigieg with a lead, even with Harris in the field. It found that 16 percent of respondents leaned toward Buttigieg, while 13 percent preferred Harris. Newsom placed third with 12 percent. Ocasio-Cortez and Shapiro both followed with seven percent. That poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters from June 24 to June 25 and had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points. What People Are Saying Harris, speaking about her plans earlier this year while visiting Los Angeles-area sites impacted by wildfires: "My plans are to be in touch with my community, to be in touch with the leaders and figure out what I can do to support them...I am here and would be here regardless of the office I hold, because it is the right thing to do, which is to show up in your community and thank the folks who are on the ground." Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in May: "Democrats do not have the best brand around here or in a lot of places. There's a lot of reasons for that. Some fair, and some not fair." Newsom told The Wall Street Journal in June: "I'm not thinking about running, but it's a path that I could see unfold." What Happens Next Typically, most candidates do not begin announcing presidential runs until after the midterm elections. Harris has laid out an end-of-summer timeline for an announcement about whether she will run for governor or president.
Newsweek
14 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Who Is Omar Fateh? Mamdani of Minneapolis Faces MAGA Abuse
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Omar Fateh, a mayoral candidate for the city of Minneapolis, has received a backlash from MAGA figures on social media. Newsweek contacted Fateh for comment via email. Why It Matters Fateh, the son of immigrant parents from Somalia and a Democratic state senator in Minnesota, is facing abuse from social media users on X. In June, New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani—another Democratic politician who advocates for progressive causes, such as rent freezes—won New York City's Democratic mayoral primary and faced a similar Islamophobic backlash online. Mamdani also faced anti-Muslim messages and death threats during his campaign. The incidents raise questions about political polarization in the U.S., which recently saw the assassination of Democratic Minnesota state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman. University student Austin Berger, left, posing for a portrait with Omar Fateh, who was running for the Minnesota House of Representatives in Dinkytown, on June 1, 2018. University student Austin Berger, left, posing for a portrait with Omar Fateh, who was running for the Minnesota House of Representatives in Dinkytown, on June 1, 2018. Easton Green/The Minnesota Daily via AP What To Know Writing on X, some accounts questioned Fateh's citizenship, falsely claiming that he was not American. Others falsely linked him to other politicians with Somali heritage. In one post, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk wrote: "Muslims are commanded to take over the government in the land they live. The attempted Islamic takeover of America is made possible thanks to mass migration." Fateh commented on the post: "Minneapolis is a beautifully diverse city that stands firm in our progressive values. The hate I've seen today—and most days—is not who we will ever be. I'm running for Mayor to work with you to achieve the affordable city we know Minneapolis can be." Mamdani, an American citizen who was born in Uganda, has faced similar challenges over his citizenship—with some Republicans calling on President Donald Trump's administration to denaturalize the New York lawmaker and deport him. What People Are Saying On his campaign page, state Senator Omar Fateh wrote: "We deserve a Mayor who makes it so people want to continue to live here, raise families here, and start businesses here." Political analyst Scott Lucas called Kirk's comments "bigotry, xenophobia and race-baiting." He told Newsweek: "This is not criticism of his record. It's not criticism of his policies. It is not an engagement for discussion on the political issues facing Minnesota. It is not a discussion of his record in the Minnesota Senate." He added: "Omar Fateh is not an immigrant. He is a U.S. citizen." He also said it was important to call out "religious hatred" when it occurs. What Happens Next The Minneapolis mayoral election is scheduled to take place on November 4. Fateh is running against two-term Democratic incumbent Jacob Frey.
