Japan says warplanes scrambled as Chinese language drone detected close to southern island near Taiwan

Tokyo — Japan stated Monday that it had scrambled plane after detecting a suspected Chinese language drone close to its southern island of Yonaguni, which is near Taiwan, on Saturday, as stress between the Asian adversaries spiked.

On Sunday, Chinese language coast guard vessels spent a number of hours in Japan’s territorial waters across the disputed Senkaku Islands, referred to as the Diaoyu in China and a frequent flashpoint, Japanese Chief Cupboard Secretary Minoru Kihara stated.

The incidents got here amid escalating stress between the neighbors over remarks by Japan’s staunchly conservative new chief, who recommended Tokyo might intervene militarily in any hypothetical Chinese language assault on Taiwan.

Beijing insists Taiwan — which Japan occupied for many years till its 1945 defeat in World Battle II — is a part of its territory, and the prime minister’s feedback have sparked outrage amongst Chinese language officers.

Japanese chief’s controversial remarks about China and Taiwan

Earlier than taking energy final month, Prime Minister Senae Takaichi, 64, was a vocal critic of China and its navy build-up within the Asia-Pacific.

If a Taiwan emergency entails “battleships and the usage of drive, then that might represent a state of affairs threatening the survival (of Japan),” she instructed parliament on November 7. Below Japan’s self-imposed home guidelines, an existential menace is likely one of the few instances the place it may possibly act militarily. Taiwan sits round 60 miles from the closest Japanese island.

In response to Takaichi’s remarks, a Chinese language diplomat stationed in Japan threatened to “lower off that soiled neck,” apparently referring to Takaichi, as China and Japan summoned one another’s ambassadors.

In Beijing, tech employee Daniel Feng referred to as the Chinese language authorities’s responses “very restrained” given Takaichi’s “extraordinarily unreasonable” remarks.

“If she spouts phrases, that is not an issue … but when they take actual motion, our nation’s navy will certainly defeat them,” the 40-year-old instructed AFP.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te referred to as on Beijing on Monday to “present restraint, act like a serious energy, and never turn out to be the troublemaker” within the Asia-Pacific area, the place peace and stability have been “severely impacted.”

“China ought to return to the trail of a rules-based worldwide order, which might assist preserve peace, stability and prosperity within the area,” Lai instructed reporters.

Beijing, in the meantime, stated Chinese language premier Li Qiang had no plans to satisfy with Takaichi on the G20 summit in South Africa later this week, which they’re each set to attend.

A Japanese authorities official instructed AFP that Masaaki Kanai, the highest overseas ministry official for Asia-Pacific affairs, arrived in China on Monday.

“We try to not escalate the state of affairs,” the official instructed AFP.

Financial influence as Asian financial giants feud

Beijing additionally suggested its residents over the weekend to keep away from travelling to Japan, and warned the roughly 100,000 Chinese language college students within the nation that there have been alleged dangers to their security.

Cupboard chief Kihara instructed reporters on Monday that the bulletins had been “incompatible with the broader path agreed upon by the leaders of the 2 nations.”

Japanese tourism and retail shares dived on Monday after China urged its residents to keep away from the neighboring nation’s vacationer hotspots.

Asia’s two high economies are carefully entwined, with China the most important supply of vacationers — virtually 7.5 million guests within the first 9 months of 2025 — coming to Japan.

Drawn by a weak yen making buying cheaper, they collectively splurged greater than a billion {dollars} a month within the third quarter, accounting for nearly 30% of all vacationer spending.

Japan was additionally the fourth-most common vacation spot for Chinese language vacationers final 12 months, serving to the land of Mount Fuji, sushi and geishas set new information for overseas arrivals. However in fears that this will now cease, buyers wiped 9% off Japanese cosmetics agency Shiseido’s market worth on Monday.

Division retailer group Mitsukoshi fell 11.3% and Pan Pacific, behind low cost retail chain and vacationer magnet Don Quijote, slid 5.3%.

Japan Airways, whose shares nosedived 3.4%, has not seen any main cancellations on flights to and from China, a spokesperson instructed AFP.