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The Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, vowed to act "in a composed yet firm manner" after claims that People's Liberation Army aircraft targeted with fire-control radar Japanese F-15s southeast of Okinawa's primary island during the past weekend.

An Dangerous Aerial Encounter Detailed

As stated by the Japanese defence ministry, Chinese J-15 jets from the aircraft carrier Liaoning engaged its fire-control radar on Japan's F-15s on two occasions last Saturday. The first incident happened at 1632 hours and was repeated about two hours. Officials stated that a visual sighting was not possible due to the range involved, and confirmed that there was no damage or casualties were reported.

"This was the first time Japan's Ministry of Defense has made public an event of this nature," a report noted. Military aircraft routinely employ radar systems to target identification.

Diplomatic Objection and Denials

Reacting to the allegations, China's military issued a declaration dismissing the report as "totally contrary to reality." It urged Japan to "immediately stop making false accusations." Conversely, Beijing asserted that Japan's SDF aircraft had "posed a grave risk to aviation safety" by repeatedly approaching its training zones. Beijing did not mention any radar targeting.

A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently called on Tokyo to "halt its provocative actions of interfering with our normal drills and exercises."

Escalating Tensions and Regional Context

Ties between China and Tokyo have deteriorated markedly in recent weeks. The downturn followed Prime Minister Takaichi stated that hostilities against Taiwan could trigger the deployment of Japan's Self-Defense Forces should the situation presented an extreme danger to the nation.

Takaichi insisted that Tokyo could exercise its right to collective defense, which involves assisting a partner under attack. She stated that her country had to "prepare for the most severe possibilities" in the Taiwan Strait.

The Japanese 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 called in the following day.

A senior vice minister for foreign affairs, Funakoshi Takehiro, lodged a "formal complaint" and urged the Chinese government to "guarantee that similar actions do not recur."

Longstanding Points of Contention

The two nations have a long-running sovereignty disagreement over the Senkaku Islands, which are known as the Diaoyu by Beijing. These small, unoccupied islets lie in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Additionally, regional tensions persist. Tokyo is deepening military and strategic ties with American and other partners in the Indo-Pacific area, a region where a number of nations have similar territorial and maritime disagreements with China.

Beijing, for its part, maintains vast sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, activities that has drawn criticism and legal challenges.