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Japan's leader, Sanae Takaichi, vowed to act "calmly and resolutely" following claims that Chinese military jets acquired a radar lock on Japan's F-15s south-east of the main island over the weekend.

A Serious Incident Reported

Per Japan's Ministry of Defense, Chinese J-15 fighter aircraft from the aircraft carrier Liaoning activated their targeting radar against Japan's F-15s on two occasions on Saturday. This occurred took place at 4:32 p.m. and was repeated about two hours. The ministry noted that visual confirmation could not be obtained due to the distance, adding that no damage or casualties resulted.

"It marked the first time Japan's Ministry of Defense has reported such an incident," one news agency stated. Military aircraft routinely employ radar systems for target identification.

Diplomatic Objection and Counter-Claims

In response to Tokyo's claims, China's navy issued a statement rejecting them as "completely inconsistent with the facts." The statement demanded Tokyo to "immediately stop slandering and smearing." Conversely, China asserted that Japan's SDF planes had "posed a grave risk to aviation safety" by repeatedly approaching China's training zones. The Chinese statement did not mention any radar targeting.

A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry subsequently called on Japan to "immediately stop its dangerous moves of interfering with China's normal military exercise and training."

Rising Strains and Broader Context

Relations between China and Tokyo have deteriorated markedly in recent weeks. The downturn came after PM Takaichi stated that an attack on Taiwan might lead to the deployment of Japanese Self-Defense Forces should such a conflict presented an extreme danger to Japan.

Takaichi argued that Tokyo had the right to invoke its legal authority to collective defense, which involves coming to the aid of an ally. She emphasized that her country had to "prepare for the most severe possibilities" in the Taiwan Strait.

Japan's defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, described the radar incident as "highly risky and deeply unfortunate." In a diplomatic move, the Chinese ambassador to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was summoned the following day.

Japan's vice-foreign minister, Funakoshi Takehiro, lodged a "formal complaint" and demanded Beijing to "guarantee that such acts are not repeated."

Enduring Points of Contention

The two nations have a protracted territorial dispute over a group of islands, which are known as the Diaoyu in China. These tiny, unoccupied islets lie in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Furthermore, broader geopolitical tensions continue. Tokyo has been deepening military and strategic ties with American and other allies in the Indo-Pacific area, a region where several nations have similar maritime) disagreements with Beijing.

China, for its part, maintains extensive sovereignty claims in adjacent seas, a posture that has prompted international concern.