China, Japan spar over their aircraft flying over disputed islands

Beijing: China and Japan on Sunday exchanged diplomatic protests, accusing each other of violating their airspace over the disputed islands in the East China Sea.

Liu Jinsong, Director-General of the Asian Affairs Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, on Sunday lodged solemn representations to Yokochi Akira, chief minister of the Embassy of Japan here, regarding Japanese right-wing elements intruding into China's territorial airspace over Diaoyu Dao by piloting a civilian aircraft, the state-run Global Times reported.

Liu urged Japan to immediately halt all "illegal and provocative actions" and to take concrete steps to prevent similar incidents. He emphasised that China will resolutely safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, it said.

A Chinese defence spokesperson condemned the "illegal entry of a Japanese civilian aircraft into the airspace" over Diaoyu Dao, reiterating that this territory is an inherent part of China and warning Japan to stop provocative actions that could destabilise bilateral relations.

The uninhabited islets are controlled by Japan but claimed by China, which calls them Diaoyu. Chinese coast guard ships periodically sail through the islands to assert Chinese sovereignty.  

Japanese news agency Kyodo quoted Japan's defence ministry as saying that a helicopter from a China Coast Guard ship violated Japanese airspace close to the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Saturday, making it the fourth airspace intrusion by Beijing.

The helicopter took off from one of the four Chinese coast guard ships that entered Japan's territorial waters around the Senkaku.

Japan Coast Guard patrol vessels spotted the helicopter flying above the territorial waters for about 15 minutes, prompting the Air Self-Defence Force to scramble two fighter jets, the ministry said.

Japan lodged a protest with China through a diplomatic channel, demanding measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again, Kyodo reported, quoting a Japanese Foreign Ministry statement.

Previous violations of Japanese airspace near the islands by China involved a fixed-wing aircraft in 2012 and a small drone in 2017.

The ministry is looking into any possible connection to a small Japanese civilian aircraft that was flying in the area around the same time, Kyodo reported.