Japan has accused a Chinese spy plane of violating its airspace, marking the first time a Chinese plane has directly violated Japanese airspace.
Japan has scrambled fighter jets after a Y-9 reconnaissance plane violated “territorial airspace” over the Danjo Islands at 11:29 a.m. local time (02:29 GMT) on Monday.
Japan’s interior minister called the intrusion “completely unacceptable” and summoned an employee of the Chinese embassy in Tokyo in protest.
The incident comes amid rising tensions in the region, where China is battling for influence with the US and its allies including Japan.
There has been no official response from Beijing yet.
The raid on Monday lasted two minutes and the Japanese issued “notifications and warnings” to the Chinese planes. No weapons such as flare guns were used, broadcaster NHK said.
Japan has also recently reported the presence of Chinese vessels near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which are claimed by China and called the Diaoyus by Beijing.
China has become increasingly assertive in the region, particularly over its claims over Taiwan and the South China Sea.
With additional reporting from Chika Nakayama in Tokyo
