Defense & Security

Chinese Helicopter Violates Japan Airspace, Takes Off From Coast Guard Ship Near Senkaku Islands

Courtesy of 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters
A helicopter takes off from the deck of a China Coast Guard vessel.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:26 JST, May 4, 2025

A Chinese helicopter violated Japanese airspace after it took off from a China Coast Guard ship near the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, according to the Japan Coast Guard.

The JCG confirmed that the aircraft was launched on Saturday from the vessel, which was intruding into Japan’s territorial waters near Minami-Kojima Island at around 12:21 p.m. The helicopter remained in the airspace until around 12:36 p.m., when it returned to the ship.

Two Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets were scrambled in response.

Saturday’s intrusion marked China’s fourth violation of Japanese airspace, with three of the incidents occurring near the Senkaku Islands. Vice Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi on Saturday lodged a strong protest with Chinese Ambassador Wu Jianghao and demanded that such incidents not be repeated.

According to the Defense Ministry, a small Japanese private jet was flying in the vicinity of the Senkaku Islands at the time. The ministry believed that the Chinese helicopter may have been launched in response to the movements of that Japanese aircraft.