Japan has lodged a strong diplomatic protest after Chinese fighter jets came dangerously close—twice within a week—to its reconnaissance aircraft over the East China Sea. According to Japan’s Defense Ministry, Chinese JH-7 jets flew as close as 30 meters and 60 meters in two separate incidents lasting about 15 and 10 minutes, respectively. Tokyo has demanded assurances that such incidents will not be repeated. In response to increasing Chinese aggression, Japan is deploying 17 V-22 Osprey aircraft to a new military base in the southwest region.