UPDATE - Japan accuses Chinese military of airspace violation ‘for 1st time’: Report

UPDATES WITH JAPAN SUMMONED CHINESE DIPLOMAT TO LODGE PROTEST, NO CHANGE IN HEADER, LEDE AND DECK

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) - Japan on Monday accused the Chinese military of violating its airspace, marking the first such accusation on record, according to the Japanese media.

“A Y-9 intelligence plane flew over waters off the Danjo Islands of the southwestern prefecture of Nagasaki, in the East China Sea, for about two minutes from 11:29 a.m., prompting the Air Self-Defense Force to scramble fighter jets,” the Kyodo News reported, citing the Japanese Defense Ministry.

Tokyo summoned Chinese Charge d'Affaires Shi Yong and lodged an "extremely serious protest" over the airspace intrusion, seeking to ensure a similar flight will never happen again, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.

According to Tokyo, it was the first airspace violation by a Chinese military plane.

Japan previously confirmed two similar incidents involving a Chinese marine surveillance plane and a drone above waters near the Japanese-administered, Chinese-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea in 2012 and 2017, respectively.

The two arch-rivals have long been at odds over the Senkaku Islands.