This is the last article you can read this month
You can read more article this month
You can read more articles this month
Sorry your limit is up for this month
Reset on:
Please help support the Morning Star by subscribing here
JAPAN and China accused each other’s air forces of dangerous behaviour over disputed territories in the East China Sea today.
Japan claimed that Chinese aircraft had come within a few dozen yards of its warplanes.
Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera accused Beijing of going “over the top” in its approach to disputed territory.
Japan’s defence ministry claimed Chinese fighters came within 170 feet of a Japanese OP-3C surveillance plane near disputed islets and within 100 feet of an electronic intelligence aircraft.
But China’s defence ministry countered that the Japanese aircraft had entered the zone despite “no fly” notices being issued ahead of Russian-Chinese exercises.
“Japanese military planes intruded on the exercise’s airspace without permission, in a serious violation of international laws and standards,” China said.
It called for urgent talks and demanded that Japan “respect the lawful rights of China’s and Russia’s navies … and stop all reconnaissance and interference activities.”
