Chinese coast guard says it ‘warns off’ Japanese aircraft near disputed island chain

China’s coast guard said it had taken “necessary control measures” to warn a Japanese civilian aircraft that was flying in the vicinity of a disputed island chain in the East China Sea on Saturday (May 3, 2025).

Coast guard vessels deployed helicopters to “warn off” the aircraft just before midday near the disputed islands, which Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing calls the Diaoyu.

The Japanese embassy in Beijing did not immediately reply to a request for comment.