China-Japan tensions escalate: Russia joins Chinese jets, South Korea lodges protest - What's happening now
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "China-Japan tensions escalate: Russia joins Chinese jets, South Korea lodges protest - What's happening now")
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Photograph: (AFP)
China and Russia carried out a joint air patrol near South Korea and Japan, prompting both nations to scramble fighter jets. Seoul lodged a protest, while Tokyo warned the flights showed growing military pressure.
Amid escalating tensions between Japan and China, the Chinese military aircraft along with Russia conducted a coordinated air patrol close to South Korea and Japan. In response, Japan and South Korea scrambled their jets. Tokyo said that as many as seven Russian and two Chinese aircraft briefly entered South Korea’s Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ). Seoul lodged diplomatic protests and Tokyo warned that the repeated joint flights represent intensified military activity aimed at Japan, raising serious national security concerns. However, both Beijing and Moscow said that the drill was part of their yearly joint strategic patrols. This comes after Japan accused China of aiming fighter jets radar at Japanese military aircraft.
Japan and China tensions
Japan and China are locked in one of the worst diplomatic tussle in years. The escalation of tension raised fear of a potential war in the Asia-Pacific region. While Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi is not ready to take back her statement on Taiwan, China has gone all out to state that her remarks is dangerous for the 'sovereignty' of the Chinese.
It all began with one statement by Takaichi on Nov 14. She was asked by an opposition lawmaker in parliament about “survival-threatening situations.” In response, Takaichi gave an example that an attempt to bring Taiwan completely under the control of Beijing using battleships and military force could constitute such a situation.
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Beijing reacted sharply to Takaichi's remark and increased its military activities and ramped up drills around Japan. It even took up to the matter to the UN, sending a formal letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres warning that any Japanese military move in the Taiwan Strait would be considered an act of aggression. China also cancelled planned meetings between culture ministers and issued notification advising Chinese nationals against visiting Japan. The international ferry Jian Zhen Hao operated by Japan-China International Ferry Co., that connects Shanghai with the western Japan cities of Kobe and Osaka, has stopped its services. Meanwhile, international community has urged for restraint from both sides and over a dozen Japanese scholars, including former government officials and media figures urged Takaichi to immediately retract her remarks on Taiwan.
