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Japan's leader, Sanae Takaichi, committed to respond "with calm determination" following reports that People's Liberation Army aircraft acquired a radar lock on Japanese F-15s southeast of the primary island during the weekend.

An Concerning Aerial Encounter Reported

As stated by the Japanese Ministry of Defense, China's J-15 fighter aircraft from the carrier Liaoning activated its targeting radar on Japan's F-15s twice on Saturday. The first incident happened at 4:32 p.m. and was repeated about two hours. The ministry stated that a visual sighting was not possible due to the range involved, adding that there was no damage or injuries occurred.

"This was an unprecedented instance Japan's Ministry of Defense has made public an event of this nature," one news agency stated. Military aircraft commonly employ radar systems for tracking purposes.

Official Protest and Denials

In response to the allegations, China's navy released a statement dismissing them as "totally contrary to the facts." The statement demanded Japan to "immediately stop making false accusations." Instead, China asserted that Japan's Self-Defense Forces aircraft had "seriously endangered flight safety" by repeatedly approaching its exercise areas. The Chinese statement made no reference to a radar lock-on.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs later called on Japan to "halt its provocative actions of interfering with our routine military exercise and training."

Escalating Tensions and Regional Context

Relations between Beijing and Japan have soured significantly in recent weeks. The downturn followed Prime Minister Takaichi stated that an attack on Taiwan could trigger the deployment of Japan's military if such a conflict presented an existential threat to the nation.

She insisted that Tokyo had the right to invoke its right to collective self-defence, which involves assisting an ally. She emphasized that Japan had to "anticipate the most severe possibilities" regarding the Taiwan Strait.

Japan's Defense Minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, described the radar incident as "dangerous and extremely regrettable." Subsequently, China's envoy to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was summoned the following day.

A senior vice-foreign minister, Funakoshi Takehiro, made a "formal complaint" and urged Beijing to "guarantee that such acts do not recur."

Enduring Disputes

The two nations are also locked in a protracted sovereignty disagreement over the Senkaku Islands, called the Diaoyu by Beijing. The tiny, uninhabited islets lie in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Furthermore, broader geopolitical frictions continue. Tokyo is strengthening cooperation with the US and its partners in the Indo-Pacific area, where a number of nations are engaged in similar territorial and maritime disagreements with Beijing.

Beijing, in turn, asserts extensive sovereignty claims in adjacent seas, a posture that has prompted criticism and legal challenges.