China has carried out close-in flights with Japanese Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) aircraft, prompting Tokyo to lodge a protest with the Chinese ambassador. On Wednesday and Thursday, Chinese fighter jets flew within 30-60 meters of the JASDF YS-11EB ELINT aircraft, which was conducting surveillance over international waters in the East China Sea.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense described the approaches as “unusual” and warned that they could lead to accidental collisions. The ministry expressed concerns about the safety of its operations and urged China to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
Japan’s Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Funakoshi Takehiro, met with Chinese Ambassador Wu Jianghao on Thursday to discuss the incidents, stressing the importance of preventing such actions. China has not commented on the incidents so far, but Japan has pointed out that its military aircraft follow strict protocols when approaching other planes over international waters.
This incident marks the latest in a series of close encounters between Japanese and Chinese military aircraft. In recent months, there have been several reported incidents involving Chinese fighter jets and Japanese surveillance planes, highlighting tensions between the two nations’ military activities in the region.
Source: https://news.usni.org/2025/07/11/japan-complains-to-ambassador-over-chinese-fighter-incident