Japan Confirms Its Airspace Violation By Chinese Intelligence Plane For The First Time

Illustration of China's Y-9 aircraft. (Wikimedia Commons/ pasty>)

JAKARTA - Japan's Ministry of Defense on Monday confirmed for the first time that a Chinese military-owned aircraft violated Japanese airspace, in the latest developments that could spark tensions between the two countries after repeated maritime provocations by China.

The Y-9 intelligence aircraft flew over the waters off the coast of the Danjo Islands, Southwestern prefectures, in the East China Sea, for about two minutes from 11:29 p.m. local time, prompting Air Self-Defense Forces to deploy fighter jets, according to the ministry, reported Kyodo News August 26.

Wakil Menteri Luar Negeri Masataka Okano memanggil Kuasa Usaha China Shi Yong dan mengajukan "protes yang sangat serius" atas pelanggaran wilayah tersebut, dengan tujuan memastikan penerbangan serupa tidak akan pernah terjadi lagi, kata Kementerian Luar Negeri Jepang.

Although this is the first airspace violation by a plane belonging to the Chinese military, Japan has previously confirmed two similar incidents, involving Chinese sea reconnaissance aircraft and unmanned aircraft that took off from the Chinese Coast Guard ship, over waters near Japan's Senkaku Islands and claimed by China in the East China Sea in 2012 and 2017, respectively.

It is known that the two countries have long clashed over the Senkaku Islands. The Chinese coast guard ship has repeatedly entered Japanese territorial waters around the uninhabited island.