Overview

• On July 10, a Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber closed to within 196 feet horizontally and 98 feet vertically of a Japanese YS-11EB over international waters near the Senkaku Islands during a 10-minute intercept.
• The encounter followed a 15-minute close-range maneuver on July 9, marking two consecutive days of high-risk interactions in the East China Sea.
• Japan’s Defense Ministry confirmed no damage to its surveillance aircraft and no injuries among its Air Self-Defense Force crew.
• Tokyo lodged a formal diplomatic protest, urging Beijing to curtail risky intercepts to avoid an unintended crisis.
• China’s Defense Ministry defended its actions as necessary responses to what it described as Japanese provocations near its military assets.