China-Japan Island Dispute Escalates
....Last week, the Chinese government sent a civilian surveillance plane, a
twin propeller aircraft, to fly near the uninhabited islands at the
heart of a growing feud between China and Japan.
Tokyo, in response, ordered F-15 fighter jets to take a look at what it
considered Chinese meddling. The Chinese then sent their own fighters.
It was the first time that supersonic Chinese and Japanese military
fighters were in the air together since the dispute over the islands
erupted last year, significantly increasing the risk of a mistake that
could lead to armed conflict at a time when both countries, despite
their mutual economic interests, are going through a period of
heightened nationalism that recalls their longstanding regional rivalry....
