Tensions flared a new in the East China Sea as Japan and China accused each other of violating airspace over the disputed Senkaku Islands, a long-standing flashpoint between the two nations.
The confrontation comes amid efforts by both governments to ease economic strains from the ongoing US-China trade conflict.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry issued a strong protest to Beijing after a Chinese coast guard helicopter reportedly breached Japanese airspace for 15 minutes on Saturday.
The aircraft took off from one of four Chinese patrol ships that had entered Japan’s territorial waters surrounding the Japan-controlled but China-claimed islands.
Calling it a “very severe intrusion,” the Japanese ministry demanded that China implement measures to prevent further provocations. Japan’s Self-Defense Forces responded by scrambling fighter jets.
In a counterclaim, China accused Japan of violating its airspace, alleging that a Japanese civilian aircraft unlawfully entered skies over the Diaoyu Islands—the name China uses for the territory.
The Chinese Embassy in Tokyo expressed “strong dissatisfaction” and said the China Coast Guard took “necessary control measures,” including dispatching a helicopter to confront the aircraft.
The incident has prompted investigations by Japanese officials into whether the Chinese airspace violation was in response to the presence of the Japanese civilian plane.
Though such incursions are not uncommon, Saturday’s episode marked the first airspace breach by a Chinese helicopter since a similar violation near Nagasaki in August 2024.
It underscores the fragile state of relations in the region, despite both countries’ attempts at diplomatic and economic cooperation.
