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Miami Herald
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
China Accused of Airspace Violation Against US Ally
China and Japan have traded accusations of airspace violations near a group of islets in the contested East China Sea, currently administered by the United States treaty ally. Tokyo severely protested China against infringement of its sovereignty, while Beijing urged Japan to cease "illegal activities" around the islands, which it claims as its own territory. The Senkaku Islands, also known as the Diaoyu Islands in China, have been the subject of controversy since Japan nationalized the previously privately owned, uninhabited islets in 2012, which Beijing responded to by conducting assertive patrols with its coast guard ships. In February, the U.S. reaffirmed that the 1960 security treaty signed with Japan applies to the disputed Senkaku Islands. The treaty declares that an attack against either side in the territories under Japan's administration "would be dangerous to its own peace and safety" and declares that the U.S. and Japan "would act to meet the common danger in accordance with [Japan's] constitutional provisions and processes." The Japanese Defense Ministry reported that a Chinese helicopter took off from one of four Chinese coast guard ships that had entered the 12-nautical-mile Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands and intruded into Japan's sovereign airspace on Saturday. The Japanese air force scrambled two fighter jets, with Japanese patrol ships warning the Chinese vessels to leave the territorial waters. The Chinese coast guard ships were later spotted retreating to the islands' contiguous zone that extends 24 nautical miles from the coastline. Meanwhile, the China Coast Guard said a Japanese civilian aircraft had illegally entered Chinese airspace over the islands, prompting the Chinese ships, which were conducting "a routine patrol," to deploy a helicopter to issue a warning and drive the aircraft away. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the aircraft in question was piloted by what it called "Japanese right-wing extremists." Japan's Kyodo News reported that the country's defense ministry was investigating a possible connection between the incident and a small civilian aircraft that was flying in the area at the time. The China Coast Guard claimed that the patrol around the Senkaku Islands was carried out in accordance with the law, referring to the Coast Guard Law that was introduced in 2021, which gives permission to fire on foreign vessels within territorial waters claimed by Beijing. On Sunday, the Chinese Defense Ministry reiterated that it was "legitimate and legal" for its coast guard to safeguard the country's territorial sovereignty, demanding Japan restrain its citizens from conducting "provocative acts." Japan's foreign ministry summoned Zhao Baogang, the acting Deputy Chief of Mission of the Chinese Embassy, after the incident, while Wu Jianghao, China's ambassador to Japan, lodged a solemn representation with Takehiro Funakoshi, the vice foreign minister of Japan. Liu Dejun, spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, said: "The China Coast Guard will continue to conduct rights protection and law enforcement operations in the waters and airspace of [the Diaoyu Islands] to firmly safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests." The Chinese Embassy in Japan said: "The Chinese side calls on the Japanese side to recognize the seriousness of the situation and take concrete measures to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents…If Japan takes new provocative moves, China will resolutely counteract them and firmly safeguard national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests." The Japanese Defense White Paper 2024 said: "China has been rapidly building up military capabilities while intensifying its activities in the East China Sea, where the waters surrounding the Senkaku Islands are, as well as in the Pacific." The U.S.-Japan joint leaders' statement on February 7 read: "The two leaders reaffirmed that Article V of the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security applies to the Senkaku Islands, and reiterated their strong opposition to any action that seeks to undermine Japan's longstanding and peaceful administration of the Senkaku Islands." China is likely to continue it coast guard patrols around the Senkaku Islands. It remains to be seen how the U.S. would support its ally in stepping up responses to protect the islands. Related Articles Japan Repairs US Floating Base in Alliance MilestoneGaming Is Getting More Expensive Under Donald TrumpUS Industrial Output To Be Worst Hit Globally by Trump TariffsMap Shows Triple US Spy Flights Near China 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
South China Morning Post
04-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
China and Japan's Diaoyu Islands dispute flares up again over ‘intrusions'
China and Japan have traded barbs after a plane was spotted flying over a disputed island in the East China Sea – a long-running source of tension between the two countries Advertisement Chinese coastguards said a routine patrol had spotted a Japanese civilian plane flying 'illegally' over the airspace of an unnamed island in the Diaoyu chain on Saturday morning. They added that the aircraft had left the area five minutes later, and the patrol had sent a helicopter to warn and expel the aircraft. Wu Jianghao, the Chinese ambassador to Japan, also lodged a stern protest over the 'illegal intrusion', saying the move severely violated China's sovereignty and asked the Japanese side to take measures to avoid a repetition. 'China strongly deplores and resolutely opposes such an incident. If Japan takes any new provocative moves, China will resolutely take countermeasures to defend our sovereignty and maritime rights,' Wu said, according to the Chinese embassy. Advertisement Meanwhile Japan lodged its own protest with Beijing, saying four Chinese coastguard ships had been spotted in its 'territorial waters' around the islands.
Yomiuri Shimbun
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Chinese Helicopter Violates Japan Airspace, Takes Off From Coast Guard Ship Near Senkaku Islands
Courtesy of 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters A helicopter takes off from the deck of a China Coast Guard vessel. A Chinese helicopter violated Japanese airspace after it took off from a China Coast Guard ship near the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, according to the Japan Coast Guard. The JCG confirmed that the aircraft was launched on Saturday from the vessel, which was intruding into Japan's territorial waters near Minami-Kojima Island at around 12:21 p.m. The helicopter remained in the airspace until around 12:36 p.m., when it returned to the ship. Two Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets were scrambled in response. Saturday's intrusion marked China's fourth violation of Japanese airspace, with three of the incidents occurring near the Senkaku Islands. Vice Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi on Saturday lodged a strong protest with Chinese Ambassador Wu Jianghao and demanded that such incidents not be repeated. According to the Defense Ministry, a small Japanese private jet was flying in the vicinity of the Senkaku Islands at the time. The ministry believed that the Chinese helicopter may have been launched in response to the movements of that Japanese aircraft.
Yomiuri Shimbun
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
China Chopper Violates Japanese Airspace near Senkakus
Courtesy of the Japan Coast Guard's 11th regional headquarters A helicopter takes off from the deck of a China Coast Guard vessel TOKYO (Jiji Press) — A Chinese helicopter flew in Japanese airspace around the Senkaku Islands for about 15 minutes on Saturday after taking off from a Chinese coast guard ship that intruded into Japanese territorial waters around the island chain in the East China Sea, Japan's Defense Ministry said. It was the fourth violation of Japanese airspace by a Chinese aircraft and the first since a Chinese warplane flew off the Danjo Islands in Nagasaki Prefecture, southwestern Japan, in August last year. Also, it was the third such violation around the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands, which are claimed by China. According to the ministry and the Japan Coast Guard's 11th regional headquarters in Naha, the capital of the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, where the Senkaku chain is located, four Haijing ships from the Chinese coast guard crossed into Japanese waters off the islands from around 12:18 p.m. Saturday. The helicopter took off from one of the ships and flew in Japanese airspace near the islands from around 12:21 p.m. to 12:36 p.m. before returning to the ship. Two F-15 fighters of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force were scrambled in response to the airspace violation. The four Chinese ships left the Japanese territorial waters by around 1:03 p.m. The ministry is analyzing details including China's intention. Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi lodged a strong protest to Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao, urging the Chinese side to prevent a similar incident.
NHK
03-05-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Chinese government helicopter enters Japan's airspace near Senkaku Islands
Japan's Defense Ministry says a Chinese government helicopter briefly entered Japanese airspace near the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture on Saturday afternoon. Japan controls the islands. China and Taiwan claim them. Ministry officials say Japan Coast Guard patrollers first detected an official Chinese vessel entering Japanese waters about 22 kilometers off the islands. They say a helicopter then took off from the Chinese ship and flew within Japanese airspace for about 15 minutes. Officials say the Japan Air Self-Defense Force scrambled fighter jets, but did not use weapons or signal flares. The officials believe the Chinese side was reacting to a small Japanese civilian aircraft flying near the islands moments earlier. The Japanese government maintains the Senkaku Islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory, in terms of history and international law. It says there is no issue of sovereignty to be resolved over them. Japan's Defense Ministry says it has lodged a strong protest with China through diplomatic channels and strongly urged Beijing to prevent a recurrence. Vice Foreign Minister Funakoshi Takehiro lodged a similar protest with China's Ambassador to Japan, Wu Jianghao. This is the fourth time Chinese aircraft have violated Japanese airspace. Three of the incursions took place off the Senkaku Islands, but this is the first time a Chinese government helicopter was involved. The Defense Ministry and the Japan Coast Guard remain on the alert, as official Chinese vessels have been sailing just outside the islands' territorial waters almost on a daily basis.
