Chinese Spy Drone Spotted near Japanese Airspace

Tokyo, March 16 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Defense Ministry said Wednesday it spotted the same day a Chinese unmanned spy plane in Japan's air defense identification zone over the East China Sea.

The ministry suspects the drone belongs to the Chinese military.

According to the ministry, China's BZK-007 unmanned surveillance aircraft was flying in the sky north of the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands, also claimed by China, in the afternoon.

After Japanese Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets were scrambled and made continuous monitoring, the drone turned back.

The ministry is exercising vigilance as the BZK-007's first-ever flight near the Japanese airspace on a confirmation basis signals that the Chinese military is gathering information in various ways, people familiar with the situation said.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]