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Japan's leader, Sanae Takaichi, has pledged to act "calmly and resolutely" following accusations that Chinese military jets targeted with fire-control radar Japan's F-15s south-east of Okinawa's main island over the past weekend.

A Concerning Aerial Encounter Disclosed

Per Japan's Ministry of Defense, Chinese J-15 jets operating from the carrier Liaoning activated their targeting radar against Japanese 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 distance, and confirmed that no damage or injuries occurred.

"It marked the first time the Japanese defence ministry has made public such an incident," a report stated. Fighter jets routinely use radar for search and rescue.

Official Protest and Counter-Claims

In response to the allegations, the Chinese navy released a statement rejecting them as "totally contrary to reality." It urged Japan to "immediately stop making false accusations." Instead, China asserted that Japanese SDF planes had "posed a grave risk to flight safety" by repeatedly flying near its exercise areas. Beijing made no reference to a radar lock-on.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs later called on Japan to "immediately stop its provocative actions of interfering with our routine drills and exercises."

Escalating Tensions and Regional Context

Relations between Beijing and Tokyo have soured markedly in recent weeks. This cooling followed Prime Minister Takaichi remarked that hostilities against Taiwan could lead to the dispatch of Japan's military should such a conflict posed an extreme danger to Japan.

Takaichi argued that Japan had the right to exercise its right to collective defense, meaning assisting an ally. The Prime Minister stated that her country had to "prepare for a worst-case scenario" in the Taiwan Strait.

Japan's Defense Minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, described the encounter as "highly risky and deeply unfortunate." Subsequently, the Chinese envoy to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was called in the following day.

Japan's vice-foreign minister, Funakoshi Takehiro, lodged a "strong protest" and demanded the Chinese government to "ensure that similar actions are not repeated."

Enduring Disputes

The two nations have a protracted territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands, called the Diaoyu in China. These tiny, unoccupied islets are situated in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Furthermore, broader geopolitical frictions persist. Tokyo has been deepening cooperation with American and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region, where several nations have their own maritime) disputes with China.

China, for its part, asserts vast sovereignty claims in adjacent seas, activities that has drawn criticism and legal challenges.