The Japanese Ministry of Defense reported on May 3 that a helicopter launched from a Chinese Coast Guard vessel entered Japan’s airspace near the disputed Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture.
The incursion occurred between 12:21 p.m. and 12:36 p.m. and has since exited the area.
Japan’s Coast Guard confirmed the incident, issuing a warning to the aircraft.
In response, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force scrambled fighter jets to intercept the helicopter. According to the Defense Ministry, the airspace violation coincided with the presence of a Japanese civilian aircraft flying nearby, which may have prompted the Chinese helicopter’s launch.
This breach prompted a formal protest from the Japanese government. Kenryu Funakoshi, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, lodged the protest directly with China’s Ambassador to Japan, Wu Jianghao, demanding measures to prevent further violations.
According to the Ministry of Defense, this was the fourth confirmed case of Chinese aircraft infringing Japanese airspace since August 2024—and the third time in the area surrounding the Senkaku Islands.
Japan maintains administrative control of the Senkaku Islands, while China continues to assert territorial claims over the uninhabited islets, calling them Diaoyu.