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| Japan protests about Chinese airspace 'intrusion' over disputed islands | Japan protests about Chinese airspace 'intrusion' over disputed islands |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Japan has protested to China after a Chinese government plane entered what Japan considers its airspace over disputed islands in the East China Sea, the Japanese foreign ministry said. | Japan has protested to China after a Chinese government plane entered what Japan considers its airspace over disputed islands in the East China Sea, the Japanese foreign ministry said. |
| The incident prompted Japan's military to scramble eight F-15 fighter jets, the defence ministry said. Japanese officials later said the Chinese aircraft had left the area. | The incident prompted Japan's military to scramble eight F-15 fighter jets, the defence ministry said. Japanese officials later said the Chinese aircraft had left the area. |
| Sino-Japanese relations took a tumble in September after Japan bought the tiny islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, from a private Japanese owner. | Sino-Japanese relations took a tumble in September after Japan bought the tiny islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, from a private Japanese owner. |
| "Despite our repeated warnings, Chinese government ships have entered our territorial waters for three days in an row," Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Osama Fujimura, told reporters. | |
| "It is extremely regrettable that, on top of that, an intrusion into our airspace has been committed in this way," he said, adding that Japan had formally protested through diplomatic channels. | "It is extremely regrettable that, on top of that, an intrusion into our airspace has been committed in this way," he said, adding that Japan had formally protested through diplomatic channels. |
| A defence ministry spokesman said as far as he knew it was the first time this year that a Chinese plane had intruded into airspace near the islands. | A defence ministry spokesman said as far as he knew it was the first time this year that a Chinese plane had intruded into airspace near the islands. |
| The incident comes just days before a Japanese election that is expected to return to power the conservative Liberal Democratic party with the hawkish former prime minister Shinzo Abe at the helm. | |
| Abe has promised to take a stern stance in the dispute over the islands – which are near potentially huge maritime gas reserves – and to boost spending on defence, including on the Coast Guard. He has said the ruling Democratic party's mishandling of its diplomacy has emboldened China. | |
| Smaller Asian countries, such as the Philippines, have become increasingly worried about Beijing's growing military assertiveness and its claims to disputed islands in the South China Sea. | Smaller Asian countries, such as the Philippines, have become increasingly worried about Beijing's growing military assertiveness and its claims to disputed islands in the South China Sea. |