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The Yomiuri Shimbun

Publication Date : 24-12-2012

The Joint Staff of the Defence Ministry announced Saturday a Chinese plane was spotted flying toward the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea and the Air Self-Defence Force (ASDF) scrambled fighter jets in response.

An aircraft belonging to China's State Oceanic Administration intruded into Japanese airspace for the first time on December 13, but Saturday's plane turned around about 120 kilometres north of the islands. The ministry is currently analysing the purpose of the flight.

According to the ministry, the Chinese plane was a Y-12 propeller aircraft. The ASDF's radar detected it flying southeast in the East China Sea Saturday morning and scrambled fighter jets from its Naha Air Base. The aircraft then changed its course north and moved away from the islands.

As the ASDF's radar did not detect the Chinese aircraft on December 13, the ministry had strengthened its surveillance by airborne warning and control systems.