Japan, China accuse each other of airspace violation

Tokyo and Beijing exchanged diplomatic protests, each accusing the other of “violating” national airspace, after a Chinese helicopter and coast guard vessels faced off with a Japanese aircraft around disputed islands.

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The islands in the East China Sea -- known as the Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan -- are administered by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing and are a frequent hotspot in bilateral tensions.

China’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday it had lodged “solemn representations" with the Japanese embassy’s chief minister after “a civilian aircraft intruded into the airspace of the Diaoyu Islands," calling it an “illegal infringement activity.”

A day earlier, the Japanese foreign ministry said in a statement that its vice minister lodged “a strong protest” with the Chinese ambassador to Japan “over the intrusion of four China Coast Guard vessels into Japan's territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands.”

The vice minister also protested “the violation of Japan's territorial airspace by a helicopter launched from one of the China Coast Guard vessels, strongly urging (China) to ensure that similar acts do not recur.”

Japan's defence ministry said the helicopter flew within Japanese airspace for about 15 minutes on Saturday near the Senkaku islands.

“The Self-Defence Forces responded by scrambling fighter jets,” the ministry said.