Japan should cherish momentum of improving ties

The momentum of improvement in China-Japan relations has not been come by easily and must be cherished. That's the core message Beijing sent to Tokyo during Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to the country in March, reflecting China's strong wish that the Japanese side reciprocate its commitment to keeping Sino-Japanese ties on the right track of healthy development.

However, the Japanese Ministry of Defense's claim that a Chinese helicopter violated Japanese "airspace" after the China Coast Guard deployed a shipborne helicopter to expel a Japanese aircraft that illegally entered China's airspace over the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea over the weekend shows Beijing's message has fallen on the deaf ears of some in the Shigeru Ishiba government.

The facts regarding the latest incident are clear.