Chinese aircraft enters Japanese airspace over disputed islands

A CHINESE aeroplane has been spotted in Japanese airspace, above disputed islands controlled by Tokyo but also claimed by Beijing.

The Japanese Defence Agency confirmed that four F-15 jets had been sent to the area early on Thursday morning but no further action had been taken.

The islands, known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese have been at the centre of a territorial dispute since the Japanese bought them from private owners earlier this year, sparking huge anti-Japan rallies in China.

Japanese ships have been patrolling the waters on the lookout for Chinese ships, which have been spotted in the area over the past few months, but violations of airspace by Chinese planes is more unusual.