Japan protests Chinese fighter jet's 'abnormal approaches'
Japan's Defense Ministry said Wednesday a Chinese J-15 fighter jet's "abnormal approaches" brought it within 49 yards of Maritime Self-Defense Force P-3C surveillance planes over the past weekend. Pictured is a Chinese J-16 fighter, following the incursion of nineteen Chinese PLA warplanes into Taiwan's Air defense identification Zone) Oct. 2, 2021. File Photo courtesy Taiwan Ministry of National Defense/EPA-EFE
June 12 (UPI) -- Japan's Defense Ministry said Wednesday a Chinese J-15 fighter jet's "abnormal approaches" brought it within 147 feet of Maritime Self-Defense Force P-3C surveillance planes over the past weekend.
There were two close calls that came within a short enough distance to risk collision and the delay in publicly announcing them was to analyze what happened.
"The government has raised serious concerns with the Chinese side, including to the Chinese ambassador in Tokyo, through the vice minister of foreign affairs, and has strongly urged them to prevent such incidents from recurring," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a Thursday news conference.
The Chinese warplane came from the aircraft carrier Shandong.
It passed in front of an MSDF P-3C jet within a distance of about 984 yards.
The Japanese defense ministry also said it confirmed for the first time that China had two carriers operating at the same time in the Pacific Ocean.
The Shandong did drills with takeoffs and landings of fighters and helicopters off the southern prefecture of Okinawa Saturday.
The Liaoning was spotted about 186 miles southwest of the island of Miniamitori Saturday. That carrier was also seen beyond the "second island chain" from Japan's Izu Islands to Guam, which China considers its defense line.
Japan's government called on China to end the flights because " these abnormal approaches by a Chinese military plane may cause an accidental collision."
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