🔗 Share this article

Japan's leader, Sanae Takaichi, committed to act "with calm determination" following claims that Chinese military jets locked their radar onto Japan's fighter jets southeast of Okinawa's main island during the weekend.

A Dangerous Incident Detailed

As stated by the Japanese defence ministry, China's J-15 fighter aircraft from the aircraft carrier Liaoning engaged their fire-control radar on Japanese F-15s on two occasions on Saturday. This occurred took place at 1632 hours and was repeated about two hours. The ministry stated that visual confirmation could not be obtained due to the distance, and confirmed that no damage or injuries were reported.

"It marked an unprecedented instance the Japanese Ministry of Defense has disclosed such an incident," one news agency stated. Fighter jets routinely use radar to search and rescue.

Diplomatic Protest and Counter-Claims

In response to Tokyo's claims, the Chinese navy released a declaration dismissing them as "totally contrary to the facts." It demanded Japan to "cease slandering and smearing." Instead, Beijing claimed that Japan's Self-Defense Forces planes had "seriously endangered flight safety" by consistently flying near China's training zones. Beijing made no reference to any radar targeting.

An official for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs later called on Tokyo to "immediately stop its provocative actions of harassing China's normal military exercise and training."

Rising Strains and Regional Context

Relations between China and Japan have worsened significantly in recent weeks. The downturn came after Prime Minister Takaichi stated that hostilities against Taiwan might trigger the dispatch of Japan's Self-Defense Forces should the situation presented an existential threat to the nation.

She argued that Japan had the right to exercise its right to collective defense, which involves coming to the aid of an ally. The Prime Minister stated that Japan had to "anticipate the most severe possibilities" regarding the Taiwan Strait.

Japan's defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, described Saturday's radar incident as "dangerous and extremely regrettable." Subsequently, China's ambassador to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was called in on Sunday.

A senior vice minister for foreign affairs, Funakoshi Takehiro, lodged a "strong protest" and urged Beijing to "guarantee that such acts do not recur."

Enduring Disputes

The two nations are also locked in a long-running sovereignty disagreement over a group of islands, called the Diaoyu in China. These tiny, uninhabited islands lie between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Additionally, broader geopolitical frictions persist. Tokyo has been strengthening cooperation with American and other allies in the Indo-Pacific region, a region where several nations are engaged in their own maritime) disputes with Beijing.

Beijing, for its part, asserts vast territorial claims in the South China Sea, a posture that has prompted criticism and legal challenges.