China, Japan Clash Over Helicopter Airspace Breach Near Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands

A high-stakes confrontation broke out between China and Japan on Saturday after a Chinese helicopter and a Japanese civilian aircraft both entered disputed airspace near the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, intensifying an already volatile territorial row.

On Sunday, China’s Coast Guard accused Japan of provoking the clash when a Japanese civilian aircraft “illegally intruded” into Chinese airspace over Diaoyu Dao at 11:19 a.m. In response, a helicopter launched from a China Coast Guard vessel chased the aircraft out within five minutes. “The Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islets are China’s inherent territory,” CCG spokesperson Liu Dejun stated. “We urge Japan to stop all illegal activities immediately.”

Later the same day, China’s Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao issued a formal protest to Japan’s Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Takehiro Funakoshi, blasting the incident as a “severe violation of China’s sovereignty” and warning of “resolute countermeasures” if Japan escalates further.

Japan, however, fired back with its own sharp accusation. Tokyo’s Defense Ministry claimed a Chinese coast guard helicopter violated Japanese airspace near the Senkaku Islands at 12:20 p.m., marking the fourth such intrusion by China.

The Japan Coast Guard said the helicopter—launched from one of four Chinese ships, all armed with autocannons—flew over Japan’s territorial waters for around 15 minutes. In response, two Air Self-Defense Force jets were scrambled, and Japanese patrol vessels repeatedly warned the Chinese ships to leave the area.

Japan’s Foreign Ministry lodged a protest with Beijing and demanded measures to prevent a repeat. Officials are said to be investigating whether the Chinese helicopter’s airspace violation was linked to the Japanese civilian aircraft earlier spotted in the area.

The latest incident adds to a growing list of flashpoints between the two countries over the uninhabited islands, which Japan controls but China claims. Past breaches include a Chinese fixed-wing aircraft in 2012, a drone in 2017, and a spy plane last August.

By early afternoon Saturday, the four Chinese ships moved to the contiguous zone outside Japan’s territorial waters. Japan said this marks the 11th Chinese intrusion this year, with Chinese ships patrolling near the islands for 166 straight days.