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Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, committed to respond "in a composed yet firm manner" following accusations that Chinese military aircraft targeted with fire-control radar Japanese F-15s southeast of the main island over the weekend.

A Serious Incident Detailed

As stated by Japan's defence ministry, Chinese J-15 jets operating from the carrier Liaoning activated its fire-control radar on Japan's F-15s on two occasions last Saturday. This occurred took place at 1632 hours and was repeated approximately two hours. The ministry stated that visual confirmation could not be obtained because of the range involved, adding that there was no damage or casualties occurred.

"This was the first time Japan's defence ministry has disclosed an event of this nature," a report noted. Military aircraft commonly employ radar systems for search and rescue.

Diplomatic Protest and Counter-Claims

Reacting to Tokyo's claims, the Chinese navy released a statement rejecting the report as "totally contrary to reality." The statement urged Japan to "immediately stop slandering and smearing." Instead, Beijing asserted that Japanese Self-Defense Forces planes had "posed a grave risk to aviation safety" by consistently flying near China's exercise areas. Beijing did not mention a radar lock-on.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs later urged Japan to "immediately stop its provocative actions of interfering with China's normal military exercise and training."

Rising Tensions and Broader Background

Relations linking Beijing and Japan have soured markedly in recent weeks. This cooling came after PM Takaichi stated that an attack on Taiwan might trigger the deployment of Japanese Self-Defense Forces if such a conflict presented an existential threat to the nation.

Takaichi argued that Japan had the right to exercise its legal authority to collective defense, meaning coming to the aid of a partner under attack. She emphasized that Japan had to "anticipate a worst-case scenario" in the Taiwan Strait.

The Japanese defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, described the radar incident as "dangerous and extremely regrettable." In a diplomatic move, the Chinese envoy to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was summoned on Sunday.

A senior vice-foreign minister, Funakoshi Takehiro, lodged a "formal complaint" and urged the Chinese government to "guarantee that similar actions do not recur."

Enduring Points of Contention

Japan and China have a long-running sovereignty disagreement over the islands, which are known as the Diaoyu in China. These tiny, unoccupied islets are situated in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Additionally, regional tensions persist. Japan has been strengthening military and strategic ties with American and other allies in the Asia-Pacific area, a region where several nations have similar territorial and maritime disagreements with Beijing.

China, for its part, asserts vast sovereignty claims in adjacent seas, activities that has drawn international concern.