Japan defense chief mulled aerial inspection of isles claimed by China

Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono mulled an aerial inspection this month of isles administered by Tokyo in the East China Sea that are claimed by Beijing, but he dropped the idea to avoid provoking China, a senior ministry official said Wednesday.No Japanese defense minister has ever conducted an aerial inspection of the Senkaku Islands, called Diaoyu by China.Kono had considered conducting the aerial inspection of the uninhabited islands to gauge how Japan's Self-Defense Forces would respond to a landing by an armed group, the official said.The inspection was considered when Kono visited…READ FULL ARTICLE