Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Following a mid-air incident between Chinese and Japanese military aircraft, US Ambassador to Japan George Glass accused the Chinese of “reckless flying” after two days of encounters over the East China Sea.

“Chinese military aircraft have been flying recklessly again this week,” Glass said in a post on X. “For two consecutive days, Chinese military fighter bombers have made dangerous ‘abnormal approaches’ to Self-Defense Force aircraft over the high seas. This once again highlights the Chinese government’s attitude of not caring about safety or human life. Chinese pilots should go back to school and retake flight training!” 

According to the Ministry of Defense, a Chinese military JH7 fighter bomber approached one of the Air Self-Defense Force’s YS11EB planes over the East China Sea for about 15 minutes on July 9. On the 10th, a Chinese military aircraft of the same type also approached an ASDF aircraft for about 10 minutes. On both days, the aircraft came within about 70 meters of each other.

Glass followed up his criticism of China with another post on Saturday, referencing a water cannon assault on a Philippine coastal vessel by two Chinese Coast Guard ships, which he described as “flagrant hypocrisy” for not abiding by international law.