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The Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, committed to respond "calmly and resolutely" after claims that Chinese military jets acquired a radar lock on Japanese F-15s south-east of Okinawa's main island over the weekend.

A Dangerous Incident Detailed

According to Japan's Ministry of Defense, Chinese J-15 fighter aircraft from the aircraft carrier Liaoning activated its fire-control radar against Japan's F-15s on two occasions last Saturday. The first incident took place at 1632 hours and occurred again approximately two hours. The ministry stated that visual confirmation could not be obtained due to the range involved, adding that no damage or injuries were reported.

"It marked an unprecedented instance Japan's Ministry of Defense has made public such an incident," one news agency stated. Fighter jets routinely employ radar systems for tracking purposes.

Diplomatic Protest and Counter-Claims

In response to the allegations, China's navy issued a declaration rejecting the report as "totally contrary to the facts." It demanded Japan to "cease making false accusations." Conversely, Beijing claimed that Japan's Self-Defense Forces planes had "posed a grave risk to aviation safety" by repeatedly approaching China's exercise areas. The Chinese statement did not mention a radar lock-on.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs later called on Japan to "halt its provocative actions of harassing China's routine military exercise and training."

Rising Strains and Regional Background

Relations between China and Japan have worsened markedly over the past month. This cooling came after Prime Minister Takaichi stated that hostilities against Taiwan might lead to the deployment of Japan's Self-Defense Forces if such a conflict presented an extreme danger to Japan.

She insisted that Tokyo could exercise its right to collective self-defence, meaning coming to the aid of a partner under attack. She stated that Japan had to "prepare for the most severe possibilities" regarding the Taiwan Strait.

Japan's defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, described Saturday's radar incident as "dangerous and extremely regrettable." In a diplomatic move, China's ambassador to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was summoned on Sunday.

A senior vice-foreign minister, Funakoshi Takehiro, made a "strong protest" and demanded the Chinese government to "ensure that such acts do not recur."

Longstanding Disputes

Japan and China are also locked in a long-running sovereignty disagreement over a group of islands, which are known as the Diaoyu by Beijing. These tiny, unoccupied islets are situated in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Furthermore, regional frictions persist. Tokyo is deepening cooperation with the US and its partners in the Indo-Pacific region, a region where a number of nations have similar territorial and maritime disputes with Beijing.

Beijing, for its part, asserts extensive territorial claims in adjacent seas, a posture that has drawn criticism and legal challenges.