Japan, China protest over airspace ‘violation’
Local media reported that this is the first time a Chinese government helicopter violated the Japanese airspace off the disputed islands
This photo taken on October 13, 2011 shows a P-3C patrol plane of Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force flying over the disputed islets known as the Senkaku islands in Japan and Diaoyu islands in China, in the East China Sea. Japanese military and paramilitary planes have flown through China's newly declared air zone without any resistance from Chinese jets, an official and a report said on November 28, 2013. AFP PHOTO / JAPAN POOL via JIJI PRESS JAPAN OUT
Photo credit should read JAPAN POOL/AFP/Getty Images
BEIJING (AFP) — Tokyo and Beijing exchanged diplomatic protests, each accusing the other of “violating” national airspace, after a Chinese helicopter and coast guard vessels faced off with a Japanese aircraft around disputed islands.
The islands in the East China Sea — known as the Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan — are administered by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing and are a frequent hotspot in bilateral tensions.
China’s foreign ministry said in a statement Sunday it had lodged “solemn representations” with the Japanese embassy’s chief minister after “a civilian aircraft intruded into the airspace of the Diaoyu Islands,” calling it an “illegal infringement activity.”
A day earlier, the Japanese foreign ministry said in a statement that its vice minister lodged “a strong protest” with the Chinese ambassador to Japan “over the intrusion of four China Coast Guard vessels into Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands.”
The vice minister also protested “the violation of Japan’s territorial airspace by a helicopter launched from one of the China Coast Guard vessels, strongly urging (China) to ensure that similar acts do not recur.”
Japan’s defense ministry said the helicopter flew within Japanese airspace for about 15 minutes on Saturday near the Senkaku islands.
“The Self-Defense Forces responded by scrambling fighter jets,” the ministry said.
Public broadcaster NHK and other local media reported that this is the first time a Chinese government helicopter violated the Japanese airspace off the disputed islands.
China’s coast guard on Saturday announced it had used a helicopter to “expel” a Japanese aeroplane from airspace around the disputed islands.
Liu Dejun, a spokesperson for China’s coast guard, said a Japanese civilian aircraft “illegally entered” the airspace of the islands at 11:19 a.m. and left five minutes later.