Japan has lodged a strong protest with China following multiple instances of Chinese fighter jets flying dangerously close to Japanese intelligence-gathering aircraft over the East China Sea. The Japanese Defense Ministry reported that a Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber came within 30 meters of a Japanese YS-11EB aircraft. Japan’s Foreign Ministry conveyed “serious concern” to the Chinese Ambassador, urging China to prevent accidental collisions and cease such actions. These incidents follow previous accusations of close encounters, occurring amid warming economic ties between the two nations, highlighted by the recent agreement on animal health and quarantine as well as China’s partial lifting of the ban on Japanese seafood imports.
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Following two close encounters over the Pacific, Japan lodged formal complaints with China. A Chinese J-15 fighter jet, operating from the Shandong aircraft carrier, performed dangerously close maneuvers around a Japanese P-3C patrol aircraft on Saturday and Sunday. These approaches, within 45 meters horizontally and 900 meters ahead of the Japanese aircraft, raised serious concerns about the risk of collision. China, however, maintains its actions were legal and blames Japan for provocative reconnaissance.
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Japan destroyer sailed into China territorial waters despite warnings.
It seems that the age-old tit-for-tat game between Japan and China has once again reared its head. With the recent incident of a Japan destroyer sailing into what China claims as its territorial waters, tensions are running high. But the question that lingers is, were they truly China’s territorial waters or just a figment of China’s territorial ambitions?
China, the same country that has been encroaching on the territorial waters of other countries, including my own, the Philippines, seems to take offense when the tables are turned. China’s coast guard and militia vessels have been known to harass ships in neighboring waters, even resorting to piratical acts at times.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker