Japan says jets scrambled as China flew drone near island close to Taiwan

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Tokyo — Japan said Monday that it had scrambled craft aft detecting a suspected Chinese drone adjacent its confederate land of Yonaguni, which is adjacent to Taiwan, connected Saturday, arsenic tension betwixt the Asian adversaries spiked.

On Sunday, Chinese seashore defender vessels spent respective hours successful Japan's territorial waters astir the disputed Senkaku Islands, known arsenic the Diaoyu successful China and a predominant flashpoint, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said.

The incidents came amid escalating hostility betwixt the neighbors implicit remarks by Japan's staunchly blimpish caller leader, who suggested Tokyo could intervene militarily successful immoderate hypothetical Chinese onslaught connected Taiwan.

Beijing insists Taiwan — which Japan occupied for decades until its 1945 decision successful World War II — is portion of its territory, and the premier minister's comments person sparked outrage among Chinese officials.

Japanese leader's arguable remarks astir China and Taiwan

Before taking powerfulness past month, Prime Minister Senae Takaichi, 64, was a vocal professional of China and its subject build-up successful the Asia-Pacific.

If a Taiwan exigency entails "battleships and the usage of force, past that could represent a concern threatening the endurance (of Japan)," she told parliament connected November 7. Under Japan's self-imposed home rules, an existential menace is 1 of the fewer cases wherever it tin enactment militarily. Taiwan sits astir 60 miles from the nearest Japanese island.

In effect to Takaichi's remarks, a Chinese diplomat stationed successful Japan threatened to "cut disconnected that soiled neck," seemingly referring to Takaichi, arsenic China and Japan summoned each other's ambassadors.

In Beijing, tech idiosyncratic Daniel Feng called the Chinese government's responses "very restrained" fixed Takaichi's "extremely unreasonable" remarks.

"If she spouts words, that's not a occupation ... but if they instrumentality existent action, our country's subject volition decidedly decision them," the 40-year-old told AFP.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te called connected Beijing connected Monday to "show restraint, enactment similar a large power, and not go the troublemaker" successful the Asia-Pacific region, wherever bid and stableness person been "severely impacted."

"China should instrumentality to the way of a rules-based planetary order, which would assistance support peace, stableness and prosperity successful the region," Lai told reporters.

Beijing, meanwhile, said Chinese premier Li Qiang had nary plans to conscionable with Takaichi astatine the G20 acme successful South Africa aboriginal this week, which they are some acceptable to attend.

A Japanese authorities authoritative told AFP that Masaaki Kanai, the apical overseas ministry authoritative for Asia-Pacific affairs, arrived successful China connected Monday.

"We are trying not to escalate the situation," the authoritative told AFP.

Economic interaction arsenic Asian economical giants feud

Beijing besides advised its citizens implicit the play to debar travelling to Japan, and warned the astir 100,000 Chinese students successful the state that determination were alleged risks to their safety.

Cabinet main Kihara told reporters connected Monday that the announcements were "incompatible with the broader absorption agreed upon by the leaders of the 2 nations."

Japanese tourism and retail shares dived connected Monday aft China urged its citizens to debar the neighboring nation's tourer hotspots.

Asia's 2 apical economies are intimately entwined, with China the biggest root of tourists — astir 7.5 cardinal visitors successful the archetypal 9 months of 2025 — coming to Japan.

Drawn by a anemic yen making buying cheaper, they collectively splurged much than a cardinal dollars a period successful the 3rd quarter, accounting for astir 30% of each tourer spending.

Japan was besides the fourth-most fashionable destination for Chinese tourists past year, helping the onshore of Mount Fuji, sushi and geishas acceptable caller records for overseas arrivals. But successful fears that this whitethorn present stop, investors wiped 9% disconnected Japanese cosmetics steadfast Shiseido's marketplace worth connected Monday.

Department store radical Mitsukoshi fell 11.3% and Pan Pacific, down discount retail concatenation and tourer magnet Don Quijote, slid 5.3%.

Japan Airlines, whose shares nosedived 3.4%, has not seen immoderate large cancellations connected flights to and from China, a spokesperson told AFP.