ASIATODAY.ID, TOKYO – Tensions between Japan and China have flared once again after Tokyo accused a Chinese coast guard helicopter of violating Japanese airspace near the disputed Senkaku Islands on Saturday, May 4, 2025. The incident has sparked a diplomatic exchange of protests between the two nations.
According to Japan’s Ministry of Defense, the helicopter took off from one of four Chinese coast guard vessels that had entered Japan’s territorial waters surrounding the Senkaku Islands on Saturday afternoon. Japanese coast guard patrol ships observed the helicopter flying over these waters for approximately 15 minutes.
In response, Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force scrambled two fighter jets to intercept the potential threat. The ministry reported that this marks the fourth instance of Chinese airspace violations over Japan, three of which have occurred near the Senkaku Islands.
China firmly denied the allegations. On Sunday, May 5, 2025, Liu Jinsong, Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, lodged a protest with Akira Yokochi, Minister at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing. Liu claimed that a Japanese civilian aircraft — allegedly operated by a right-wing group — had infringed on the airspace over islands China refers to as Diaoyu.
“China urges Japan to immediately cease its illegal activities and take concrete measures to prevent similar incidents in the future,” Liu asserted in an official statement.
Chinese Ministry of Defense spokesperson Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang stated that the Chinese coast guard’s actions to expel the Japanese civilian aircraft were “completely lawful and legitimate.”
“China will resolutely safeguard its territorial sovereignty as well as its maritime rights and interests,” Zhang emphasized. He also urged Japan to strictly restrain its citizens’ activities and refrain from provocative actions that could complicate the situation around the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands.
The Senkaku Islands, administered by Japan but claimed by China, have long been a flashpoint for diplomatic tensions between the two countries. This latest incident risks further straining bilateral relations amid the ongoing disputes in the East China Sea.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense is currently investigating whether the Chinese helicopter interacted with or was connected to the Japanese civilian aircraft flying in the area around the same time. (Kyodo)
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