Japanese Patrol Plane Shadowed By Chinese J-15 Fighter Jet Over Pacific Ocean; Tokyo Warns Of Collision Risk

Japan has raised a formal diplomatic protest with China after a Chinese J-15 fighter jet made unusually close approaches to a Japanese P-3C patrol aircraft over the Pacific Ocean, reported South China Morning Post.

According to Japan’s Defence Ministry, the Chinese jet shadowed its aircraft for 40 minutes on Saturday and 80 minutes on Sunday.

The ministry said the Chinese fighter approached close to a horizontal distance of about 45 metres with no altitude difference and, in another manoeuvre on Sunday, “crossed approximately 900 metres ahead of the patrol aircraft’s course, with no altitude difference”.

Images released by Japan showed the fighter close to P-3C's wings.

Tokyo called the manoeuvres “abnormal” and warned they could lead to unintended collisions.

Beijing rejected the charge, accusing Japan of conducting “close-in reconnaissance” of normal Chinese operations.

Analysts in Tokyo interpret the move as signalling , military muscle-flexing with geopolitical undertones.

In April 2001, a US Navy EP-3 reconnaissance plane collided with a Chinese J-8 interceptor near Hainan.

The Chinese pilot was killed, and the US aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing on Hainan, where its 24 crew members were detained for 10 days by Chinese authorities.

The incident ended after a carefully worded US statement helped defuse tensions.