US Ally Faces Fresh Challenge in East China Sea

China has warned the Japanese air force to leave the airspace near the Senkaku Islands in a fresh case of tensions over a disputed islet territory. On February 3, the China Coast Guard began to issue warnings to Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) aircraft last month, demanding they vacate airspace over and around the Japan-controlled, China-claimed Senkaku Islands, known as Diaoyu in China, Kyodo News reported. These warnings, communicated via radio, are based on Beijing’s assertion that SDF aircraft may infringe upon Chinese territorial airspace, highlighting a significant increase in diplomatic tensions. The Senkakus comprises five uninhabited islets and three barren…