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Defense

Spy balloons: How would Japan respond?

Fighter jets likely would be scrambled but Tokyo vows case-by-case response

Japanese F-2 fighter jets take part in an international fleet review in Sagami Bay, near Tokyo, in November. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi)

TOKYO -- The shoot-down of what the U.S. called a high-altitude Chinese surveillance balloon has raised a security question for Japan: What would China's neighbor do in response to a similar incident?

Potential actions include scrambling fighter jets to intercept the balloon. The use of force is permitted to stop an aircraft intruding into a nation's airspace in violation of international law.

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