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Japan's leader, Sanae Takaichi, has pledged to act "in a composed yet firm manner" after claims that Chinese military aircraft acquired a radar lock on Japan's fighter jets southeast of Okinawa's primary island over the past weekend.

An Serious Aerial Encounter Disclosed

As stated by Japan's defence ministry, Chinese J-15 jets from the aircraft carrier Liaoning activated its targeting radar on Japan's F-15s on two occasions last Saturday. This occurred happened at 1632 hours and occurred again approximately two hours. Officials stated that visual confirmation was not possible due to the distance, adding that no damage or injuries resulted.

"This was the first time Japan's defence ministry has reported such an incident," one news agency noted. Fighter jets commonly use radar for tracking purposes.

Diplomatic Objection and Denials

Reacting to the allegations, the Chinese navy issued a declaration rejecting them as "totally contrary to reality." It urged Tokyo to "cease slandering and smearing." Conversely, China claimed that Japan's Self-Defense Forces planes had "posed a grave risk to aviation safety" by consistently approaching its training zones. The Chinese statement did not mention any radar targeting.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently called on Japan to "halt its provocative actions of harassing our normal drills and exercises."

Rising Tensions and Regional Context

Ties linking China and Tokyo have soured significantly over the past month. This cooling followed Prime Minister Takaichi remarked that hostilities against Taiwan might lead to the dispatch of Japan's Self-Defense Forces if the situation posed an extreme danger to the nation.

She insisted that Japan could exercise its legal authority to collective defense, which involves coming to the aid of a partner under attack. The Prime Minister emphasized that her country had to "prepare for the most severe possibilities" in the Taiwan Strait.

The Japanese defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, described Saturday's radar incident as "highly risky and deeply unfortunate." Subsequently, China's ambassador to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was summoned on Sunday.

A senior vice-foreign minister, Funakoshi Takehiro, made a "strong protest" and urged the Chinese government to "ensure that similar actions are not repeated."

Enduring Disputes

Japan and China are also locked in a protracted territorial dispute over the islands, called the Diaoyu in China. The tiny, unoccupied islets are situated in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Furthermore, regional tensions persist. Tokyo has been deepening cooperation with the US and other allies in the Asia-Pacific region, a region where several nations have similar territorial and maritime disputes with China.

China, for its part, maintains vast territorial claims in adjacent seas, a posture that has prompted criticism and legal challenges.