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Japan's leader, Sanae Takaichi, committed to act "in a composed yet firm manner" following reports that Chinese military jets targeted with fire-control radar Japanese F-15s south-east of the primary island during the past weekend.

An Concerning Aerial Encounter Disclosed

According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, China's J-15 fighter aircraft operating from the carrier Liaoning engaged their targeting radar on Japan's F-15s twice last Saturday. The first incident took place at 1632 hours and occurred again about later. Officials stated that visual confirmation was not possible due to the distance, adding that there was no damage or casualties resulted.

"This was an unprecedented instance the Japanese defence ministry has reported an event of this nature," one news agency noted. Fighter jets commonly use radar to target identification.

Official Protest and Counter-Claims

In response to Tokyo's claims, China's military released a declaration rejecting them as "completely inconsistent with reality." It urged Japan to "immediately stop making false accusations." Conversely, Beijing asserted that Japanese SDF planes had "seriously endangered flight safety" by repeatedly flying near China's training zones. Beijing did not mention a radar lock-on.

A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently called on Japan to "halt its dangerous moves of interfering with our routine drills and exercises."

Escalating Strains and Broader Background

Relations between China and Tokyo have worsened markedly over the past month. This cooling followed PM Takaichi stated that hostilities against Taiwan might lead to the deployment of Japan's military if such a conflict posed an extreme danger to Japan.

Takaichi argued that Japan could invoke its right to collective defense, which involves coming to the aid of a partner under attack. She emphasized that her country had to "prepare for a worst-case scenario" regarding the Taiwan Strait.

The Japanese defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, labeled the radar incident as "highly risky and deeply unfortunate." In a diplomatic move, the Chinese ambassador to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was called in on Sunday.

Japan's vice-foreign minister, Funakoshi Takehiro, made a "formal complaint" and demanded Beijing to "guarantee that similar actions are not repeated."

Enduring Disputes

The two nations have a protracted sovereignty disagreement over the Senkaku Islands, which are known as the Diaoyu in China. The small, unoccupied islets are situated in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Furthermore, broader geopolitical frictions persist. Tokyo has been deepening military and strategic ties with American and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region, where a number of nations are engaged in their own territorial and maritime disputes with Beijing.

China, in turn, asserts extensive sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, a posture that has drawn international concern.