LAUREN TAYLOR: IN A HISTORIC FIRST, A CHINESE MILITARY AIRCRAFT BREACHED JAPANESE AIRSPACE, TRIGGERING AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE FROM JAPAN’S AIR SELF-DEFENSE FORCE AND ESCALATING TENSIONS IN THE REGION.

A CHINESE Y-9 SURVEILLANCE AIRCRAFT ENTERED JAPANESE AIRSPACE NEAR THE DANJO ISLANDS IN NAGASAKI PREFECTURE FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO MINUTES AT 11:29 AM MONDAY, MARKING THE FIRST CONFIRMED INCURSION BY A CHINESE MILITARY AIRCRAFT INTO JAPANESE AIRSPACE.

JAPAN’S AIR SELF-DEFENSE FORCE SCRAMBLED FIGHTER JETS IN RESPONSE – AND THE COUNTRY’S VICE FOREIGN MINISTER SUMMONED CHINA’S AMBASSADOR TO LODGE AN ‘EXTREMELY SERIOUS PROTEST’ OVER THE AIRSPACE INTRUSION.

THE AIRSPACE VIOLATION COMES AMID INCREASING ASSERTIVENESS FROM CHINA IN THE EAST CHINA SEA, WITH JAPANESE OFFICIALS REPORTING A RISE IN THE PRESENCE OF CHINESE COAST GUARD VESSELS, NAVAL SHIPS, AND SUBMARINES IN DISPUTED AREAS.

CHINA’S INCREASING MILITARY ACTIVITIES IN THE AREA HAVE PROMPTED JAPAN TO BOLSTER ITS DEFENSES AND STRENGTHEN INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCES, WITH ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE U-S.