The Japanese Prime Minister Vows a 'Determined' Answer In the Wake of Targeting Event With China's Fighter Jets.
Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has pledged to respond "with calm determination" after accusations that Chinese military jets targeted with fire-control radar Japanese fighter jets southeast of the main island over the past weekend.
A Concerning Aerial Encounter Reported
According to the Japanese defence ministry, Chinese J-15 fighter aircraft operating from the aircraft carrier Liaoning activated their fire-control radar against Japan's F-15s twice on Saturday. The first incident took place at 4:32 p.m. and occurred again about later. The ministry noted that a visual sighting could not be obtained due to the distance, adding that no damage or casualties were reported.
"This was an unprecedented instance Japan's defence ministry has made public such an incident," one news agency noted. Military aircraft routinely employ radar systems for search and rescue.
Official Objection and Denials
Reacting to the allegations, the Chinese navy issued a declaration rejecting the report as "completely inconsistent with reality." The statement demanded Japan to "immediately stop slandering and smearing." Instead, Beijing asserted that Japanese SDF planes had "seriously endangered aviation safety" by consistently flying near its training zones. The Chinese statement did not mention any radar targeting.
A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently urged Tokyo to "halt its provocative actions of interfering with China's routine military exercise and training."
Rising Strains and Broader Background
Relations between China and Tokyo have soured significantly in recent weeks. This cooling came after PM Takaichi remarked that hostilities against Taiwan could trigger the dispatch of Japan's military should the situation posed an extreme danger to the nation.
She insisted that Tokyo had the right to invoke its right to collective self-defence, which involves assisting an ally. The Prime Minister stated that her country had to "prepare for a worst-case scenario" regarding the Taiwan Strait.
The Japanese Defense Minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, labeled the radar incident as "highly risky and deeply unfortunate." Subsequently, the Chinese ambassador to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was summoned on Sunday.
A senior vice-foreign minister, Funakoshi Takehiro, lodged a "strong protest" and urged the Chinese government to "guarantee that similar actions do not recur."
Longstanding Points of Contention
The two nations are also locked in a protracted sovereignty disagreement over the Senkaku Islands, called the Diaoyu by Beijing. These tiny, unoccupied islets are situated in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.
Additionally, regional frictions persist. Japan has been strengthening military and strategic ties with the US and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region, where a number of nations are engaged in their own territorial and maritime disagreements with Beijing.
China, in turn, asserts extensive sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, a posture that has prompted criticism and legal challenges.
