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Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, committed to act "calmly and resolutely" after accusations that People's Liberation Army jets locked their radar onto Japanese F-15s southeast of Okinawa's primary island over the weekend.

A Serious Incident Reported

According to Japan's defence ministry, China's J-15 jets operating from the aircraft carrier Liaoning engaged its fire-control radar against Japan's F-15s on two occasions last Saturday. The first incident happened at 1632 hours and was repeated about later. The ministry stated that visual confirmation could not be obtained due to the range involved, adding that there was no damage or injuries were reported.

"This was an unprecedented instance the Japanese defence ministry has disclosed such an incident," one news agency stated. Military aircraft routinely employ radar systems to target identification.

Diplomatic Objection and Counter-Claims

Reacting to the allegations, the Chinese military issued a declaration dismissing the report as "completely inconsistent with the facts." It urged Tokyo to "immediately stop slandering and smearing." Instead, Beijing claimed that Japanese SDF aircraft had "seriously endangered flight safety" by consistently flying near its exercise areas. Beijing made no reference to a radar lock-on.

A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently urged Tokyo to "immediately stop its provocative actions of interfering with our routine military exercise and training."

Escalating Tensions and Broader Background

Ties between Beijing and Japan have deteriorated markedly over the past month. The downturn followed Prime Minister Takaichi stated that hostilities against Taiwan might trigger the dispatch of Japan's Self-Defense Forces should the situation presented an existential threat to the nation.

Takaichi insisted that Tokyo had the right to exercise its right to collective defense, meaning coming to the aid of an ally. She stated that her country had to "anticipate a worst-case scenario" regarding the Taiwan Strait.

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

A senior vice minister for foreign affairs, Funakoshi Takehiro, lodged a "strong protest" and demanded the Chinese government to "guarantee that similar actions are not repeated."

Longstanding Points of Contention

Japan and China have a protracted territorial dispute over a group of Senkaku Islands, called the Diaoyu in China. These tiny, unoccupied islets lie in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Additionally, regional tensions continue. Japan is strengthening military and strategic ties with American and its allies in the Indo-Pacific area, where a number of countries have similar territorial and maritime disputes with China.

Beijing, in turn, maintains vast territorial claims in adjacent seas, activities that has drawn criticism and legal challenges.