Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, committed to act "in a composed yet firm manner" following claims that Chinese military jets acquired a radar lock on Japan's F-15s southeast of Okinawa's main island over the past weekend.
An Concerning Incident Disclosed
As stated by Japan's Ministry of Defense, China's J-15 jets operating from the aircraft carrier Liaoning activated its fire-control radar on Japan's F-15s on two occasions last Saturday. The first incident happened at 4:32 p.m. and occurred again approximately later. Officials noted that a visual sighting was not possible due to the distance, and confirmed that no damage or casualties resulted.
"It marked the first time Japan's Ministry of Defense has made public an event of this nature," one news agency noted. Military aircraft commonly use radar for search and rescue.
Official Objection and Denials
Reacting to the allegations, the Chinese military issued a statement dismissing them as "completely inconsistent with reality." The statement demanded Japan to "cease slandering and smearing." Conversely, China asserted that Japanese Self-Defense Forces planes had "seriously endangered flight safety" by repeatedly flying near its training zones. Beijing did not mention a radar lock-on.
An official for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs later urged Tokyo to "immediately stop its provocative actions of interfering with China's normal drills and exercises."
Escalating Strains and Broader Context
Relations between Beijing and Japan have worsened significantly in recent weeks. This cooling came after PM Takaichi remarked that hostilities against Taiwan might trigger the dispatch of Japanese Self-Defense Forces if such a conflict presented an existential threat to Japan.
Takaichi insisted that Tokyo could invoke its legal authority to collective defense, meaning assisting an ally. The Prime Minister stated that her country had to "anticipate a worst-case scenario" in the Taiwan Strait.
Japan's defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, labeled the radar incident as "dangerous and extremely regrettable." In a diplomatic move, the Chinese envoy to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was summoned on Sunday.
Japan's vice-foreign minister, Funakoshi Takehiro, lodged a "formal complaint" and demanded the Chinese government to "ensure that such acts do not recur."
Enduring Points of Contention
Japan and China have a protracted sovereignty disagreement over the islands, called the Diaoyu by Beijing. These tiny, uninhabited islands lie in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.
Furthermore, broader geopolitical tensions persist. Japan is strengthening cooperation with the US and other partners in the Asia-Pacific area, where a number of countries are engaged in their own territorial and maritime disagreements with Beijing.
Beijing, for its part, asserts extensive territorial claims in adjacent seas, activities that has prompted international concern.
