A Chinese airplane entered Japanese air space over the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Thursday that China claims, the top Japanese government spokesman said. The Air Self-Defense Force scrambled F-15 jets to the area after the Chinese Oceanic Administration airplane was spotted near Uotsuri Island, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura told reporters. The Japanese government immediately protested to China over the incident, (Kyodo) news agency quoted Fujimura as saying. Fujimura said it is “extremely deplorable” that China has entered Japanese air space despite repeated warnings and as it came after Chinese surveillance ships intruded into Japanese waters earlier Thursday. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda ordered relevant entities in the government to take further caution in warning and surveillance activities, Fujimura said.