A Chinese military drone flew near Okinawa in southwestern Japan on Monday, the Japanese Defense Ministry said.
It marked the first time that a TB001 drone, which can be armed or used for reconnaissance purposes, has flown solo from the East China Sea to the Pacific, passing between Okinawa's main island and Miyako Island, the ministry said.
The drone was in the air for most of the day. After flying toward the Pacific, it then headed toward Taiwan and circled the east side of the island, it said.
The drone prompted Japan's Air Self-Defense Force to scramble fighter jets, though the unmanned aerial vehicle did not intrude into Japanese airspace.
In August last year, the ministry confirmed that a plane believed to be a TB001 flew a similar route along with a manned airplane.
