More Senkaku kabuki!

China decided to poke Japan in the eye, again, over the same islands they’ve been complaining back and forth about for the past 50 years. Who’s in the wrong here? Don’t ask me. I don’t know enough of the history to be a good judge of things. That said, this seems like it comes up every week where some Chinese plane or ship decides to sail close to the Senkaku islands/islets and then we have another trip by the Chinese ambassador to the Foreign ministry for a tongue lashing. Good times.

中国、揺さぶり強め る？尖閣で初の領空 侵犯

藤村官房長官は１３日、中国国家海洋局 の航空機１機が同日、沖縄県・尖閣諸島の 魚釣島近くの日本領空を侵犯し、航空自衛 隊が戦闘機を緊急発進（スクランブル）さ せたと発表した。 首相官邸で記者団に語った。中国機の領 空侵犯は初めてで、政府は「極めて遺憾 だ」と中国に抗議した。 領空侵犯は、尖閣諸島の領有権を主張す る中国が日本政府への揺さぶりを強める狙 いがあるとみられる。 野田首相は１３日、神奈川県相模原市の 街頭演説で、領空侵犯について、「これか らも緊張感を持って警戒監視にあたると同 時に、中国政府に対しては厳しく抗議して いる」と強調した。外務省の河相周夫(ち かお)次官は同日、中国の韓志強臨時代理 大使を同省に呼び、厳重抗議した。 藤村氏らによると、海上保安庁の巡視船 が同日午前１１時６分頃、中国のプロペラ 機（Ｙ―１２）１機の領空侵犯を確認し、 直ちに領空外に出るように通告した。航 空自衛隊は別の任務で飛行中だったＦ１５ 戦闘機２機を向かわせ、空自那覇基地（那 覇市）からもＦ１５戦闘機６機と早期警戒 機（Ｅ２Ｃ）１機を緊急発進させたが、 到着した時には、中国機は領空外に出てい た。防衛省によると、自衛隊のレーダーで は領空侵犯を捕捉できなかった。低空飛行 のため、捕捉できなかったとの見方があ る。 （2012年12月13日21時41分 読売新聞）

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/news/20121213-OYT1T00897.htm

China strengthening provocations? Invades airspace over Senkaku for first time

Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujimura announced on the 13 th that one China Maritime Authority airplane invaded Japanese airspace near Uoturi Island in the Senkaku archipelago in Okinawa Prefecture and that the Japanese Air Defense Force scrambled fighters in response.

He spoke to reporters at the Prime Minister’s residence. This was the first time a Chinese plane committed an airspace violation, and the government complained to China, calling the incident “extremely regrettable.”

This violation of airspace appears to be China, which claims sovereignty over the Senkaku islands, aiming to increase provocations toward the Japanese government.

In a street speech in Sagamihara city in Kanagawa Prefecture on the 13 th , Prime Minister Noda spoke concerning the invasion of airspace, “While having both a sense of tension and appropriate vigilant watchfulness, we have filed a strong complaint with the Chinese government.” The Foreign Ministry’s vice-minister Chikao Kawai summoned the Chinese ambassador to the ministry and strongly complained.

According to Fujimura, a coast guard vessel confirmed sighting of a Chinese propeller-drive plane (Y-12) violating airspace at 11:06 am and ordered the plane to immediately leave Japanese airspace. 2 Air Defense F-15 fighters on a different mission were redirected as well as 6 F-15s from Naha airbase and an Advanced Monitoring plane (E2C) were scrambled. By the time they arrived, the Chinese plane had left the area. According to the Ministry of Defense, the Air Defense force’s radar could not detect the airspace intrusion, likely because the plane flew low to the ground.