Japan Rejects China's Explanation over Warplane's Close Approaches

   Tokyo, July 15 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani on Tuesday rejected China's account of unusually close approaches made by Chinese military aircraft toward a Japanese Air Self-Defense Force plane in two separate cases last week.
   "China's assertion that the flight of the SDF aircraft was the cause is utterly wrong," Nakatani said at a press conference.
   According to Japan's Defense ministry, a JH-7 fighter-bomber of the Chinese military approached a YS-11EB intelligence-gathering plane of the ASDF, which was engaged in surveillance activity over the East China Sea, coming as close as 30 meters to the ASDF plane horizontally on July 9 and vertically the following day.
   In June, a similar incident occurred over the Pacific Ocean.
   "We are deeply concerned about the Chinese military's repeated flights (including abnormal approaches)," Nakatani said, stressing that the ASDF aircraft was conducting normal surveillance and monitoring activities appropriately. He said that the ministry had strongly requested the Chinese side to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.

(2025/07/15-21:04)