Tensions between Japan and China have intensified following an incident in the East China Sea where a Chinese military aircraft made an unusually close approach to a Japanese Air Self-Defense Force reconnaissance plane operating within the air defense identification zone. The Chinese government stated that its actions were lawful surveillance and tracking based on relevant laws. However, Japan’s Defense Minister Minatani refuted China's claim that the Japanese aircraft's flight caused the incident, asserting that such accusations are completely unfounded. Concurrently, China’s Ministry of Defense rejected Taiwan's assertion of a 'median line' in the Taiwan Strait, reaffirming that Taiwan is an integral part of China. Beijing dismissed Taiwan's claims regarding new flight paths near the Strait, describing the activation of the W121 route off the M503 line as routine civil aviation activity that does not alter the status quo.