The China Japan fighter jet encounter has sparked new tensions in East Asia. According to Tokyo, Chinese jets flew dangerously close to Japanese patrol aircraft over the Pacific on June 7 and 8. Japanese officials said the Chinese J-15 fighters came as close as 45 meters, calling the behavior reckless and unacceptable.
For the first time, Japan detected both Chinese aircraft carriers—the Shandong and Liaoning—operating together in Pacific waters. In response, Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force deployed P-3C surveillance planes from Okinawa. On Saturday, a J-15 jet from the Shandong followed one of the Japanese aircraft for about 40 minutes. The next day, another J-15 tailed a second P-3C for 80 minutes, at one point flying just 900 meters ahead of it.
After the incidents, Tokyo lodged a formal protest. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi confirmed that Japan expressed serious concern and asked Beijing to prevent such actions in the future. Additionally, the defense ministry released photos of the armed J-15 taken during Sunday’s incident. Fortunately, the Japanese planes and crews were unharmed.
Meanwhile, China responded by blaming Japan for provoking the encounter. Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian claimed that Japan’s surveillance near Chinese military exercises created the risk. He emphasized that China’s operations complied with international law. Furthermore, Beijing insisted that the dual carrier operation was routine and not directed at any specific country.
The China Japan fighter jet encounter has added to growing fears in Tokyo over China’s expanding regional presence. General Yoshihide Yoshida, Japan’s highest-ranking military officer, warned that Beijing often tries to change the status quo by force. Therefore, he stressed the importance of maintaining strong deterrence to prevent normalization of aggressive tactics.
The United States has also voiced concern. U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass described the incident as reckless and dangerous. He pointed out that China has previously harassed Philippine vessels, fired flares at Australian aircraft, and rammed Vietnamese fishing boats. According to Glass, this pattern reflects a wider regional threat.
Although similar aerial confrontations have occurred in the past, the scale and duration of this latest one is notable. In 2014, Japan reported a Chinese aircraft flying within 30 meters over the East China Sea. However, this week’s incident involved multiple encounters, two carriers, and extended close contact over consecutive days. As a result, security analysts warn of a potential rise in such high-risk encounters in the near future.
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