Rising Tensions in East China Sea: Japan Warns China Over Aggressive Fighter Jet Maneuvers
Tokyo (The Uttam Hindu): A fresh confrontation has emerged between China and Japan after Chinese fighter-bombers reportedly flew close to Japanese reconnaissance aircraft over the East China Sea. The incident has triggered a sharp reaction from Tokyo, which issued a stern warning to Beijing.
According to Japan’s Ministry of Defense, Chinese JH-7 fighter-bombers made multiple close passes near the YS-11EB electronic intelligence aircraft operated by Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force on Wednesday and Thursday. The flybys occurred in international airspace, meaning they did not breach Japanese sovereign airspace, and no direct damage was reported.
However, Japan expressed strong disapproval of what it considers increasingly provocative behavior by the Chinese military. In a statement released late Thursday night, Japan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi conveyed “serious concern” to Chinese Ambassador Wu Jianghao, demanding an immediate halt to such actions.
So far, China has not responded officially. Previously, Beijing had accused Japanese surveillance aircraft of flying too close to its military assets and monitoring Chinese operations. China had also asked Tokyo to scale down such monitoring efforts. The latest development adds to the growing military friction in the East China Sea, an area long marred by territorial disputes and heightened surveillance.
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