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Japan's leader, Sanae Takaichi, vowed to respond "in a composed yet firm manner" following accusations that People's Liberation Army jets targeted with fire-control radar Japanese fighter jets south-east of Okinawa's main island over the past weekend.

A Concerning Incident Detailed

According to the Japanese defence ministry, Chinese J-15 fighter aircraft from the carrier Liaoning engaged its targeting radar against Japanese F-15s on two occasions last Saturday. The first incident took place at 4:32 p.m. and was repeated about later. The ministry stated that visual confirmation was not possible due to the distance, and confirmed that no damage or casualties resulted.

"It marked the first time Japan's Ministry of Defense has reported an event of this nature," one news agency stated. Military aircraft commonly employ radar systems for search and rescue.

Official Objection and Denials

Reacting to the allegations, China's military issued a declaration rejecting them as "totally contrary to the facts." It demanded Japan to "cease slandering and smearing." Conversely, Beijing asserted that Japanese Self-Defense Forces planes had "seriously endangered flight safety" by repeatedly flying near China's exercise areas. Beijing did not mention a radar lock-on.

An official for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs later called on Japan to "halt its dangerous moves of harassing China's normal military exercise and training."

Escalating Strains and Regional Background

Relations between Beijing and Japan have deteriorated markedly over the past month. This cooling came after Prime Minister Takaichi remarked that an attack on Taiwan could trigger the dispatch of Japanese military if the situation posed an extreme danger to the nation.

She insisted that Japan had the right to invoke its legal authority to collective defense, meaning assisting a partner under attack. She stated that Japan had to "anticipate the most severe possibilities" regarding the Taiwan Strait.

Japan's defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, described Saturday's encounter as "highly risky and deeply unfortunate." Subsequently, the Chinese ambassador to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was called in on Sunday.

Japan's vice minister for foreign affairs, Funakoshi Takehiro, lodged a "formal complaint" and demanded Beijing to "ensure that such acts do not recur."

Longstanding Disputes

Japan and China have a long-running sovereignty disagreement over a group of Senkaku Islands, which are known as the Diaoyu in China. These small, unoccupied islets lie between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Furthermore, broader geopolitical frictions persist. Japan is deepening cooperation with the US and its partners in the Asia-Pacific region, a region where several countries are engaged in their own territorial and maritime disagreements with China.

China, for its part, asserts extensive sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, a posture that has prompted criticism and legal challenges.