Chinese fighter jet in near miss with Japanese military plane as Pacific tensions rise

J-15 fighter jet took off from Chinese aircraft carrier off Japanese coast and came within 45 metres of Japanese Self-Defence Force aircraft

Japan has voiced “serious concern” over a near miss involving one of its military planes and a Chinese fighter jet in the Pacific, where recent manoeuvres by Chinese aircraft carrier groups have raised tensions across the region.

The Chinese aircraft took off from a moving aircraft carrier, the Shandong, and reportedly flew within 45 metres of a Japanese Self-Defence Force (SDF) patrol plane shortly afterwards. On Thursday, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, urged Beijing to prevent a repeat of the incident, which took place at the weekend.

Hayashi said the near miss, which occurred in international waters, could have caused an accidental collision.

Japan’s defence ministry said a J-15 fighter jet from the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong had engaged in other “dangerous” activity, including passing in front of an SDF aircraft flying at the same altitude about 900 metres away.