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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| China fighters in 'dangerous' brush with Japanese planes |
| 2014-05-26 |
| Tokyo -- Japan on Sunday accused China of "dangerous" manoeuvres above disputed areas of the East China Sea, saying a Chinese fighter flew within roughly 30 metres (100 feet) of a Japanese military aircraft. A defence ministry spokesman said a Chinese Su-27 jet on Saturday flew close to a Japanese OP-3C surveillance plane above the waters where the countries' air defence identification zones overlap. Another Chinese SU-27 fighter also flew close to a Japanese YS-11EB plane in the same airspace, the ministry said. One fighter jet approached to within about 50 metres and the other was as close as 30 metres to the Japanese planes, according to the spokesman. Relations between Japan and China are strained by a territorial dispute over Tokyo-controlled islands in the East China Sea. Beijing raised regional tensions in November by declaring an air defence identification zone covering the area, which overlaps a similar Japanese zone. "They were dangerous acts that could lead to an accident," Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters on Sunday. "The Japanese crew reported that the fighters were flying with missiles, which raised the tension as they handled the situation." Tokyo protested to Beijing over the incident through diplomatic channels, he said. The Chinese fighters did not enter the Japanese zone, according to the Asahi Shimbun daily. The two Japanese aircraft were monitoring a joint naval drill by China and Russia in the northern East China Sea near Japanese territorial waters, Kyodo News said. China's defence ministry said two Japanese planes entered China's air defence identification zone on Saturday, "interfering with joint naval exercises between China and Russia" for which a "no fly" notice had been issued. Chinese aircraft were scrambled to "identify and take protective measures" against the Japanese planes, the ministry said in a statement on its website. China has made representations to Japan asking it to "respect the legitimate rights of the Chinese and Russian navy", it said. China and Russia started joint naval exercises on Tuesday as their leaders promised to strengthen relations in the face of international criticism over their territorial disputes. The exercises ended on Sunday. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #3 Tokyo is officially denying Beijing's allegations of wilful interference by Nippon in its joint drill wid Russia. FYI Hanoi = Vietnam has accused a Chinese vessel of repor ramming + sinking a Vietnamese fishing boat in the SCS. * ION BHARAK RAKSHAK > ABE TO BREAK OUT 15 "COLLECTIVE DEFENCE" [military] CONTINGENCIES TO WOO SKEPTICAL KOMEITSU - JAPAN TIMES. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2014-05-26 22:39 |
| #2 If the Chinese are sending Sukhoi 27's to the 'incident', it means their first line pilots, and this was intentional. |
| Posted by: ed in texas 2014-05-26 10:11 |
| #1 After a PeopleÂ’s Liberation Army (PLA) naval F-8 fighter smacked into a U.S. Navy EP-3 reconnaissance plane in 2001 the reconnaissance flight's were resumed but this time with a fighter escort. Japan would be well advised to do the same. In fact, every Chinese aircraft entering the disputed area should be met with a fighter "escort". Two can play at being |
| Posted by: Squinty 2014-05-26 01:43 |