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The Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, committed to act "calmly and resolutely" following accusations that Chinese military aircraft targeted with fire-control radar Japan's fighter jets south-east of Okinawa's main island over the past weekend.

A Serious Aerial Encounter Detailed

According to Japan's defence ministry, Chinese J-15 fighter aircraft from the carrier Liaoning engaged its fire-control radar against 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 a visual sighting was not possible due to the distance, and confirmed that no damage or injuries occurred.

"It marked the first time the Japanese Ministry of Defense has disclosed an event of this nature," one news agency noted. Fighter jets routinely use radar for search and rescue.

Diplomatic Protest and Counter-Claims

Reacting to Tokyo's claims, the Chinese navy released a statement dismissing the report as "completely inconsistent with the facts." The statement urged Japan to "immediately stop slandering and smearing." Instead, Beijing asserted that Japan's SDF aircraft had "posed a grave risk to aviation safety" by consistently flying near its exercise areas. Beijing made no reference to any radar targeting.

An official for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently called on Tokyo to "halt its provocative actions of harassing our normal military exercise and training."

Escalating Tensions and Regional Background

Relations linking Beijing and Japan have deteriorated significantly over the past month. This cooling came after PM Takaichi stated that an attack on Taiwan might lead to the dispatch of Japan's Self-Defense Forces if such a conflict posed an existential threat to the nation.

Takaichi insisted that Japan could exercise its legal authority to collective defense, meaning assisting a partner under attack. The Prime Minister stated that Japan had to "prepare for a worst-case scenario" in the Taiwan Strait.

The Japanese Defense Minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, labeled the radar incident as "highly risky and deeply unfortunate." Subsequently, the Chinese ambassador to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was summoned on Sunday.

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

Longstanding Disputes

The two nations are also locked in a long-running sovereignty disagreement over a group of Senkaku Islands, which are known as the Diaoyu by Beijing. These tiny, uninhabited islands are situated between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Additionally, regional frictions persist. Japan has been deepening cooperation with the US and other partners in the Indo-Pacific area, where a number of countries are engaged in their own maritime) disagreements with Beijing.

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