The Japan Air Self-Defense Force scrambled fighter jets in response to a “suspected intrusion” by a Chinese aircraft carrier into its airspace from May 6–8 over the East China Sea, Japanese officials wrote in a May 9 tweet.
Beijing also increased military drills around Taiwan.
The Japanese Defense Ministry said in a statement that four Chinese naval vessels, including the Liaoning aircraft carrier, were spotted on May 7 in the waters about 150 kilometers (93 miles) south of Ishigaki Island, Okinawa prefecture.
It added that the warships were the same as those that were spotted passing between the Okinawa and Miyako islands on May 1–2.
The Chinese military confirmed on May 9 that naval and air force assets conducted drills from May 6–8 to the east and southwest of Taiwan “to test and improve the joint operations capability of multiple services and arms,” without elaborating further.
…