DTN News - DISPUTED EAST CHINA SEA REGION SENKAKU / DIAOYU ISLANDS: Japan Accuses China of Violating Airspace
• The islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, have been a long-standing source of territorial dispute.
• The purchase of the islands by the Japanese government earlier this year from private Japanese owners set off massive anti-Japanese rallies in China.
• China and Japan account for almost one-fifth of global GDP. Their two-way trade exceeds more than $340 billion a year
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Euronews
(NSI News Source Info) SINGAPORE - December 14, 2012: Japan has accused China of violating its airspace for the first time after a Chinese plane flew near the East China Sea islands claimed by both.
Japan scrambled fighter jets after the plane was seen around 11:00 local time (02:00 GMT) near one of the islands, spokesman Osamu Fujimura said.
Japan lodged an immediate protest with Beijing, he said.
The islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, have been a long-standing source of territorial dispute.
Beijing said its Chinese Oceanic Administration plane was carrying out a normal operation.
Japan's Defense Agency said four F-15 jets headed to the area Thursday morning, but the Chinese plane, a Y-12, a nonmilitary type of aircraft, had flown off by the time they got there.
The purchase of the islands by the Japanese government earlier this year from private Japanese owners set off massive anti-Japanese rallies in China.
"I want to stress that these activities are completely normal. The Diaoyu and its affiliated islands are China's inherent territory since ancient times," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said of the plane. "China requires the Japanese side to stop illegal activities in the waters and airspace of the Diaoyu islands."
Japanese Coast Guard vessels have engaged in cat and mouse games with the Chinese ships, with both sides broadcasting messages to one another saying they have territorial sovereignty over the area.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said the Chinese plane's entry into the area was "extremely regrettable" and that Japan has lodged a protest with the Chinese government through diplomatic channels.
It was the first time a Chinese plane entered Japanese air space over the disputed islands.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, while noting he did not yet know the specifics of the latest incident, urged calm. He added that the U.S. does not "take a position on the sovereignty of these islands."
"The security treaty between the United States and Japan applies to any provocative set of circumstances," he told reporters at the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur during an Asian tour. "We are encouraging all sides to take appropriate steps so that there will be no misunderstanding or miscalculation that could trigger an environment that would be antithetical to peace and stability."
In September, the Japanese government's nationalization of the Senkaku Islands triggered a series of violent demonstrations that targeted Japanese business and diplomatic establishments in many Chinese cities.
The diplomatic war of words between government leaders at the United Nations has since been replaced by a chill in top-level contacts. The repeated intrusion of Chinese vessels in the waters around the Senkakus has led to maritime tensions.
China and Japan account for almost one-fifth of global GDP. Their two-way trade exceeds more than $340 billion a year. China accounts for 19.7 per cent of Japanese exports. Anti-Japanese rioting across China has affected Japanese car exports to China, which is down 70 per cent, while Chinese tourist numbers have fallen 70 per cent.
*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Euronews
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