By Harry Kazianis
Close calls between Chinese and Japanese aircraft could eventually turn deadly.
It seems tensions in the East China Sea are on a true collision course. Unfortunately, such a play on words could involve possible casualties in the skies, setting off a regional crisis that could draw in the United States.
The latest incident occurred Wednesday morning when China accused Japanese F-15s of following a TU-154 aircraft in the area of the East China Sea. Beijing claimed the plane came as close as a 100 or so feet. In an interesting move, videos were promptly released by China showing the incident in detail.
To make matters worse, this was not the only incident on Wednesday where Chinese and Japanese planes approached each other. In a statement on its website, China’s Ministry of Defense claimed that “on the same day in the morning, the reconnaissance aircraft YS-11EB and OP-3 of the Japan’s self-defense forces conducts reconnaissance in the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone [sic].” The statement goes on to add “in accordance with the related regulations, China dispatched two J-11 fighters to identify and verify the Japanese aircraft with a distance more than 150 meters. The Chinese pilots’ operations are professional and standard with restraint. What Japanese pilots have done is dangerous and provocative.”
So what happens if Chinese and Japanese planes crash into each other over the contested skies of the East China Sea? While no one knows for sure, one could look to the 2001 China-U.S. Hainan Island incident to gain some insight.
Read the full story at The Diplomat