Tensions Intensify Between China, Japan on Disputed Island Airspace
(MENAFN) China and Japan traded accusations on Saturday, each alleging that the other had infringed on their sovereign airspace near contested islands.
The dispute intensified as Tokyo officially lodged a complaint by summoning the Chinese diplomat and insisting that similar actions should not happen again.
Beijing, on the other hand, alleged that a Japanese non-military aircraft had "illegally entered China's airspace" over the disputed islands.
In reaction to this, a Chinese coastguard vessel deployed a helicopter to force the plane to vacate the area, as reported by several media outlets.
According to a statement from Japan’s Foreign Ministry, four Chinese Coast Guard vessels entered the territorial waters surrounding the islands, which are called Senkaku by Japan and Diaoyu by China.
A helicopter was reportedly launched into the skies above the contested zone.
Masaaki Kanai, head of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, called in the Deputy Chief of Mission from China’s embassy to issue a "strong protest" and to "strongly urge" that such conduct not be repeated, according to the ministry's report.
In rebuttal, a spokesperson for China's Coast Guard, Liu Dejun, stated that the ships were conducting a standard patrol "in accordance with the law."
He reiterated that a Japanese civilian aircraft had "illegally entered China's airspace," which led to the helicopter’s dispatch to remove it.
This version of events was shared by the media.
“The Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islets are China’s inherent territory. We urge the Japanese side to immediately cease all illegal activities,” the spokesman was quoted as saying in the publication.
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