By Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Aug 27: Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, on Tuesday, issued a stern rebuke of China’s recent airspace violation, labelling it an “absolutely unacceptable” breach of national sovereignty.
In a press briefing, Hayashi emphasised the gravity of the situation, noting that this is the first confirmed and publicly disclosed violation by a Chinese military aircraft since Japan implemented its anti-airspace violation measures. “The violation of our country’s airspace by Chinese military aircraft is not only a serious violation of our country’s sovereignty, but also a threat to our security, and we consider it absolutely unacceptable,” Japan’s chief government spokesperson said.
“We refrain from giving a definite answer as to the intended purpose of the Chinese aircraft’s action. However, China’s recent military activities near Japan have a tendency to expand and become increasingly active. The government will continue to pay close attention to China’s military activities and will take all possible measures to ensure vigilant surveillance and airspace violation measures,” Hayashi told reporters.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense released a photograph showing the Chinese military Y-9 surveillance aircraft, which reportedly breached Japanese airspace for approximately two minutes at 11:29 AM on Monday. According to the Kyodo news agency, the aircraft circled over waters southeast of the disputed islands multiple times before and after entering Japan’s airspace. The plane eventually headed back toward China around 1:15 PM.
In response to Japan’s assertion of the airspace violation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian addressed reporters on Tuesday, stating that China’s relevant authorities are currently verifying the details of the incident. He emphasised that China has no intention of infringing upon the airspace of any nation.
This incident follows a series of maritime provocations by Chinese vessels near the disputed islands in the East China Sea, escalating regional tensions. While there have been two prior incursions—by non-military aircraft—a propeller-driven plane in 2012 and a small drone in 2017, both near the contested Senkaku Islands, this is the first involving a Chinese military aircraft. The uninhabited archipelago, known as Diaoyu in China, is administered by Japan but is also claimed by Beijing, which covers the area for its rich fishing grounds and potential oil and gas reserves.
