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The Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, committed to act "with calm determination" after claims that Chinese military jets acquired a radar lock on Japanese F-15s south-east of the main island during the weekend.

An Concerning Incident Reported

According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, China's J-15 fighter aircraft from the carrier Liaoning engaged its fire-control radar on Japanese F-15s twice on Saturday. The first incident took place at 4:32 p.m. and occurred again approximately later. The ministry stated that a visual sighting was not possible because of the range involved, and confirmed that no damage or casualties resulted.

"It marked the first time the Japanese defence ministry has reported such an incident," one news agency noted. Fighter jets commonly employ radar systems for search and rescue.

Official Protest and Counter-Claims

In response to Tokyo's claims, China's military released a declaration dismissing the report as "totally contrary to reality." It urged Japan to "immediately stop making false accusations." Conversely, China asserted that Japan's SDF aircraft had "posed a grave risk to flight safety" by repeatedly approaching its training zones. The Chinese statement made no reference to any radar targeting.

An official for China's foreign ministry subsequently urged Japan to "immediately stop its provocative actions of harassing China's normal drills and exercises."

Rising Tensions and Regional Context

Relations linking Beijing and Tokyo have soured markedly in recent weeks. This cooling came after PM Takaichi remarked that hostilities against Taiwan might trigger the dispatch of Japan's Self-Defense Forces should such a conflict posed an existential threat to Japan.

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

Japan's Defense Minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, described the encounter as "highly risky and deeply unfortunate." In a diplomatic move, China's ambassador to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was called in the following day.

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

Longstanding Disputes

Japan and China are also locked in a long-running sovereignty disagreement over the Senkaku Islands, which are known as the Diaoyu by Beijing. The small, unoccupied islets lie in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Additionally, regional frictions continue. Japan has been strengthening cooperation with the US and its allies in the Asia-Pacific area, a region where a number of nations have similar maritime) disagreements with Beijing.

China, in turn, maintains vast territorial claims in the South China Sea, a posture that has drawn international concern.