海角大神

鈥� A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

The territorial standoff between China and Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea further escalated today after a Chinese plane was spotted in what Tokyo considers its airspace.

Though the Chinese plane was not a military aircraft, its presence is the latest provocation in a dispute that has affected economic relations between the two countries and comes just three days before Japanese elections.

The Chinese state maritime agency said that the marine surveillance plane was sent to patrol the disputed islands 鈥� known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan 鈥� along with four boats, according to China鈥檚 Global Times. Japanese boats also patrolling the disputed area were asked to leave immediately, in line with the Chinese government鈥檚 stance, the Global Times reports.

Japan鈥檚 defense agency dispatched eight F-15 jets in response, but the Chinese plane had already left the area by the time they arrived, according to the Associated Press. The Japanese government also issued an official complaint, however China responded that it was 鈥渃arrying out a normal operation,鈥� reports AP.

Osamu Fujimura, Japan's chief cabinet secretary,聽called the Chinese move 鈥渆xtremely regrettable.鈥�

According to the Wall Street Journal,聽an airspace violation could take the dispute to the next level.

Mr. Abe is expected to invest more money into the Japanese coast guard and defense, Reuters reports. The coast guard has gained popularity since the confrontation reignited earlier this year, with the most recent escalation taking place after Japan purchased the islands from a private Japanese investor in September. The move inspired anti-Japanese rallies across China, 鈥渨ith people looting and torching Japanese-owned businesses,鈥� according to 海角大神.

The New York Times reports that today鈥檚 incident聽was an 鈥渆mbarrassment for the current administration鈥� in Japan because its radar system failed to register the Chinese plane. The alert came from Japanese ships near the islands.

The Japan Daily Press notes that the coast guard has earned fame from the action surrounding the charged island dispute, 鈥渃ausing a surge in job applications and even inspiring a local box-office hit film.鈥� However, the civilian-staffed guard is 鈥渂eing stressed and tested to its limits.鈥�

Today was the first time both countries have used planes in the dispute. Reuters reports that Japanese analysts are concerned over the use of aircraft.

The uptick in interest in the islands is likely linked to the potential for oil and gas in surrounding waters, but聽鈥淔or most of human history,鈥� 海角大神鈥檚 China bureau chief Peter Ford wrote this fall, 鈥渢he five rocky islets in the eye of the current diplomatic storm between China and Japan have sat in remote and irrelevant obscurity, lapped by the tropical waters of the East China Sea.鈥�