Japan scrambles jets after China plane flies by southern islands

(Reuters) - Japan scrambled fighter jets on Wednesday after a Chinese military aircraft flew for the first time through international airspace near its southern islands out over the Pacific, in a move seen by Japan as underlining China's maritime expansion.

Ties between China and Japan have been strained by a territorial dispute over uninhabited East China Sea islets and hawkish Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won a decisive victory in upper house elections on Sunday.

Japan's Defense Ministry said a Chinese Y-8 airborne early warning plane flew through airspace between Okinawa prefecture's main island and the smaller Miyako island in southern Japan out over the Pacific at aroundnoon and later took the same route back over the East China Sea.

"I believe this indicates China's move toward further maritime expansion," Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters, in comments carried on public broadcaster NHK.

Chinese government spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.

The waters around the disputed islands, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, and which are to the west of Okinawa's main island, are rich fishing grounds and the sea floor around them could hold big oil and gas reserves.

Tension between China and Japan escalated last September when Japan bought three of the disputed islands from a private Japanese owner.

Since then, patrol ships and aircraft from both countries have been shadowing each other in the sea and skies around the islets.

That has raised fears of an unintended collision leading to a broader clash.

Abe has pledged to take a firm stance in the territorial dispute, but said in his news conference following the upper house election win that Japan's door was open to dialogue.

(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Robert Birsel)

中国预警机首次飞到第一岛链 日机紧急拦截

信源：凤凰卫视

日本防卫大臣小野寺五典周三表示，中国一架军机首次飞跃冲绳和宫古岛之间的公海上空第一岛链，日本航空自卫队战机紧急升空。

7月24日，中国军方一架预警机飞经冲绳主岛和宫古岛之间的公海上空。照片由日本防卫省统合幕僚监部提供。

资料图：第一岛链

日本防卫大臣小野寺五典周三在访问地鹿儿岛表示，日本防卫省当天确认到，中国一架Y8预警机飞越冲绳本岛和宫古岛之间的公海上空，小野寺强调，这是中国军机首度跨越连接日本列岛和冲绳、菲律宾之间的第一岛链。

日本防卫大臣小野寺五典：“中国一架Y8预警机，首次飞跃冲绳本岛和宫古岛上空，跨越东海，试图在太平洋远程飞行，这是中国军机首度跨越中国所说的第一岛链，进入太平洋。”

中国Y8预警机飞行路径。

日本防卫省官员对凤凰卫视表示，中国Y8预警机从西北方向飞来，在图中红圈地点绕圈飞行后返航。航空自卫队战机紧急起飞拦截，但防卫省不愿透露具体拦截地点。

日本防卫大臣小野寺五典：“这是中国军机第一次飞跃第一岛链，这表明中国今后远洋战略会更加积极。”

小野寺强调，由于中国正积极推进远洋战略，日本今后会继续加强警戒。