Japan and China Trade Accusations Over Airspace Violations Near Disputed East China Sea Islands

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Asia

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Image Source: Getty Images

Tensions flared anew between Japan and China over the weekend as both nations accused each other of airspace violations near the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, a region where sovereignty claims have long fueled diplomatic friction.

Japan’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday it had lodged a “very severe protest” with Beijing following what it described as a violation of its territorial airspace by a Chinese helicopter. The aircraft reportedly took off from one of four Chinese coast guard vessels that entered Japan’s territorial waters and remained in the airspace around the islands which Japan controls for approximately 15 minutes on Saturday.

“This intrusion into Japan’s territorial airspace is absolutely unacceptable,” the ministry said, urging the Chinese government to take immediate preventative measures to avoid future incidents.

In response, Japan’s Self-Defense Forces scrambled fighter jets to intercept the Chinese aircraft, according to Japan’s Defense Ministry.

Beijing, however, issued its own protest, accusing Tokyo of violating Chinese airspace. A statement released by the Chinese Embassy in Japan said that a Japanese civilian aircraft had entered what China considers its airspace over the Diaoyu Islands Beijing’s name for the Senkakus on the same day.

“China expresses strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to Japan’s serious infringement on Chinese sovereignty,” the embassy stated, adding that the China Coast Guard took “necessary control measures” and deployed a ship-borne helicopter to issue warnings and drive the Japanese aircraft away.

Japanese authorities are investigating whether there was a connection between the appearance of the Chinese coast guard helicopter and the Japanese civilian aircraft in the same area.

Though Japan maintains administrative control over the uninhabited islets, China regularly sends patrol vessels and aircraft into surrounding waters and airspace to assert its claim. These operations frequently provoke rapid deployments by Japan’s air force and navy, with Saturday’s incident marking the first recorded airspace violation by a Chinese aircraft since August, when a reconnaissance plane entered Japanese airspace near Nagasaki.

This weekend's confrontation underscores the enduring volatility in the region, despite recent signs of warming bilateral ties amid broader economic pressures, including trade challenges stemming from the U.S.-China tariff standoff.

The East China Sea dispute remains a sensitive flashpoint in Asia-Pacific geopolitics, with analysts warning that even minor incidents have the potential to spiral into broader conflict if not carefully managed through diplomatic channels.