China has accused Japan—a United States treaty ally in Northeast Asia—of sending spy planes to its so-called Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the contested East China Sea.
The remarks from Beijing come after Tokyo said YS-11EB intelligence-gathering aircraft had experienced close aerial encounters with Chinese planes while conducting surveillance over the region last week.
Newsweek has reached out to the Japanese Defense Ministry for further comment via email.
Why It Matters
Japan forms part of a defensive island line known as the First Island Chain under a U.S. containment strategy that aims to restrict China‘s military activities in its immediate waters, including the East China Sea, which lies off China’s eastern coast and separates it from Japan.
The East Asian neighbors have two ongoing disputes in the East China Sea: one over the sovereignty of the uninhabited Senkaku island group—administered by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing as the Diaoyu Islands—and the other over energy exploration in the region.
In 2013, China established an ADIZ—for the purpose of identification and early warning—over international waters in the East China Sea, outside its territorial airspace. The zone overlaps with those of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, a Newsweek map shows.
What To Know
In a statement released on Sunday, Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China’s Defense Ministry, claimed that Japan Air Self-Defense Force reconnaissance aircraft had entered China’s ADIZ in the East China Sea multiple times for what the official called “close-in reconnaissance.”
Regarding the close aerial encounters between Japanese and Chinese aircraft that occurred on Wednesday and Thursday, the Chinese spokesperson defended the actions taken by his country’s military.
“Chinese aircraft responded by verifying, identifying, following, and monitoring [the Japanese aircraft],” the spokesperson said, adding that those actions were “fully justified, reasonable, professional, and standardized.” The Chinese aircraft involved on both occasions were identified by Japan as JH-7 fighter-bombers.
The Chinese official said the Japanese military’s close-in reconnaissance and interference were the “root causes” of air and sea safety risks affecting the two militaries. China’s Defense Ministry has not yet released any footage or images of the close aerial encounters.
It remains unclear how close the Japanese YS-11EB aircraft were to China’s territorial airspace, which extends 13.8 miles from its East China Sea coastline.
Japan’s Defense Ministry
Japan has been closely monitoring China’s military activities around the First Island Chain, including the recent tracking of two Chinese aircraft carriers in the broader Western Pacific Ocean, during which Chinese fighter jets intercepted a Japanese patrol aircraft in early June.
What People Are Saying
Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China’s Defense Ministry, said in a statement on Sunday: “We hope that the Japanese side will work with the Chinese side to create a proper atmosphere for the stable development of bilateral relations.”
Japan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement on Thursday of the Chinese interceptions: “Such an unusual approach by Chinese military aircraft could provoke an accidental collision.”
What Happens Next
Japan is likely to continue its spy flights over the East China Sea as disputes with China remain unresolved. Aerial encounters between the two sides are expected to occur again.
