The Japanese Prime Minister Promises an 'Resolute' Answer In the Wake of Radar Lock-On Event With China's Fighter Jets.

Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, vowed to act "calmly and resolutely" following accusations that Chinese military jets targeted with fire-control radar Japanese fighter jets southeast of the main island during the past weekend.

An Dangerous Aerial Encounter Disclosed

Per Japan's defence ministry, China's J-15 fighter aircraft from the aircraft carrier Liaoning activated its targeting radar against Japan's F-15s twice on Saturday. This occurred happened at 1632 hours and was repeated approximately two hours. Officials noted that a visual sighting could not be obtained because of the range involved, and confirmed that there was no damage or casualties resulted.

"It marked the first time Japan's defence ministry has reported such an incident," a report stated. Fighter jets routinely use radar for tracking purposes.

Diplomatic Objection and Counter-Claims

Reacting to the allegations, the Chinese navy released a declaration rejecting them as "completely inconsistent with the facts." The statement urged Japan to "cease slandering and smearing." Instead, China claimed that Japan's Self-Defense Forces planes had "seriously endangered aviation safety" by repeatedly flying near its training zones. The Chinese statement made no reference to any radar targeting.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently urged Japan to "immediately stop its dangerous moves of interfering with China's routine military exercise and training."

Rising Strains and Broader Context

Relations between Beijing and Japan have soured significantly over the past month. This cooling came after Prime Minister Takaichi stated that an attack on Taiwan might trigger the deployment of Japanese Self-Defense Forces if such a conflict posed an extreme danger to Japan.

She argued that Tokyo could exercise its legal authority to collective self-defence, meaning 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.

Japan's Defense Minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, labeled Saturday's encounter as "dangerous and extremely regrettable." Subsequently, China's envoy to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was called in the following day.

Japan's vice minister for foreign affairs, Funakoshi Takehiro, made a "formal complaint" and demanded the Chinese government to "ensure that similar actions are not repeated."

Longstanding Disputes

The two nations are also locked in a long-running sovereignty disagreement over a group of islands, which are known as the Diaoyu in China. These small, uninhabited islets lie in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Additionally, regional tensions continue. Japan has been deepening military and strategic ties with American and other partners in the Asia-Pacific region, where a number of countries are engaged in similar territorial and maritime disagreements with China.

Beijing, in turn, asserts vast sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, a posture that has drawn criticism and legal challenges.