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A top US official has publicly criticized the Chinese government on social media over recent incursions into Japanese territorial waters and airspace.

Let’s bring you up to speed: In the last week, Japan has reported two separate incursions by Chinese air and naval assets. On August 26, a Chinese Y-9 surveillance aircraft briefly violated Japanese airspace over a small island near Kyushu, marking the first recorded breach of Japan’s airspace by a Chinese military aircraft. Just days later, on August 31, a Chinese survey vessel entered Japanese territorial waters near Kagoshima prefecture, remaining within the 12-mile territorial limit for about two hours.

Who said what: US Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, criticized China for its two incursions into Japanese territory, suggesting that these actions were deliberate, not accidental. In a statement, he said, “China says it’s still ‘investigating and verifying’ the recent violation of Japan’s airspace by one of its surveillance planes. But with a Chinese survey ship sailing into Japanese waters only the other day, two territorial incursions in less than a week looks more intentional than accidental. Not one to usually offer free advice to the PLA, but Google Maps is a great (free) option. It goes without saying, obviously, it will need a VPN to bypass China’s Great Firewall.”

What China is saying: A top Chinese military official has confirmed that they were talking with Japan and investigating how the air incursion occurred and called on Japan not to “overinterpret it.” China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning, disputed claims by Japan related to an incursion by a naval vessel. She said, “Chinese ships passing through the strait are exercising the right of transit passage, which is completely legitimate and legal.”

Japan’s previous statements: Following the second incursion,  Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said, “The violation of our country’s airspace by Chinese military aircraft is not only a serious violation of our country’s sovereignty, but also a threat to our safety, and we consider it utterly unacceptable.” He continued, “Although we refrain from giving a definitive answer as to the intent and purpose of the Chinese military aircraft’s actions, its military activities in recent years near Japan have tended to grow and are becoming increasingly active. The government will continue to watch China’s military activities with keen interest, and will take all possible measures to ensure vigilant surveillance and prevent airspace violations.“