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The Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, vowed to respond "with calm determination" following reports that People's Liberation Army jets locked their radar onto Japanese fighter jets southeast of Okinawa's main island during the weekend.

A Concerning Incident Disclosed

As stated by the Japanese defence ministry, China's J-15 fighter aircraft operating from the aircraft carrier Liaoning engaged their fire-control radar on Japanese F-15s on two occasions last Saturday. This occurred took place at 4:32 p.m. and was repeated approximately later. Officials noted that a visual sighting could not be obtained due to the distance, and confirmed that no damage or injuries were reported.

"This was an unprecedented instance Japan's Ministry of Defense has made public such an incident," a report noted. Military aircraft commonly use radar to tracking purposes.

Diplomatic Objection and Denials

In response to Tokyo's claims, China's military released a declaration dismissing them as "totally contrary to reality." It urged Tokyo to "immediately stop making false accusations." Instead, Beijing asserted that Japan's SDF planes had "posed a grave risk to aviation safety" by repeatedly approaching its exercise areas. The Chinese statement made no reference to a radar lock-on.

An official for China's foreign ministry subsequently called on Japan to "halt its dangerous moves of interfering with our normal drills and exercises."

Escalating Tensions and Regional Context

Ties linking Beijing and Tokyo have soured significantly in recent weeks. This cooling came after PM Takaichi remarked that hostilities against Taiwan could trigger the deployment of Japanese Self-Defense Forces if the situation presented an extreme danger to the nation.

Takaichi argued that Japan could invoke its right to collective defense, which involves assisting a partner under attack. The Prime Minister stated that Japan had to "prepare for the most severe possibilities" regarding the Taiwan Strait.

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

A senior vice-foreign minister, Funakoshi Takehiro, made a "formal complaint" and urged Beijing to "guarantee that similar actions do not recur."

Longstanding Points of Contention

The two nations have a long-running sovereignty disagreement over the islands, called the Diaoyu in China. These tiny, uninhabited islets are situated in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Additionally, broader geopolitical frictions persist. Japan has been strengthening cooperation with the US and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region, a region where several countries have similar territorial and maritime disagreements with China.

China, for its part, maintains vast territorial claims in the South China Sea, a posture that has drawn criticism and legal challenges.