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Japanese Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu said on Tuesday that Japan has the “legal right” to shoot down foreign balloons that enter its airspace.
Japan, like many other countries, was responding to the Chinese spy balloon that passed over the United States and was shot down by the U.S. military after completing its mission on Saturday. Costa Rica confirmed on Monday another spy balloon penetrated its airspace.
“Japan is concerned because some weather models indicated it crossed into its territory before traversing the Pacific Ocean, and that other balloons may have been used to probe Japan’s defenses in the past or may be used for the same reason in the future,” the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.
Japan says it has ‘legal right’ to destroy any foreign balloon as it probes reports of past sightings https://t.co/iwNUzCNsie
SCMP Asia (@SCMPAsia) February 9, 2023
The government of Taiwan on Saturday said China’s spy balloons “should not be tolerated by the civilized international community.” Japan seems inclined to agree.
The SCMP quoted Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Isozaki Yoshihiko announcing a probe into suspicious balloon sightings over northern Japan in 2020 and 2021.
Although he could not disclose classified details of how the Japanese Air Self-Defense Forces (ASDF) responded to those past incidents, Isozaki said they would react more forcefully in the wake of the American incident.
