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Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has pledged to respond "calmly and resolutely" after accusations that Chinese military aircraft targeted with fire-control radar Japan's F-15s southeast of Okinawa's main island during the weekend.

A Serious Incident Reported

Per the Japanese defence ministry, China's J-15 fighter aircraft operating from the carrier Liaoning activated its fire-control radar against Japanese F-15s on two occasions last Saturday. The first incident took place at 1632 hours and occurred again approximately later. The ministry stated that visual confirmation could not be obtained due to the range involved, and confirmed that no damage or injuries resulted.

"It marked the first time the Japanese defence ministry has made public such an incident," one news agency noted. Fighter jets routinely employ radar systems to tracking purposes.

Official Objection and Denials

In response to the allegations, China's navy issued a statement rejecting them as "totally contrary to reality." It demanded Japan to "immediately stop making false accusations." Conversely, China claimed that Japan's Self-Defense Forces aircraft had "posed a grave risk to flight safety" by repeatedly approaching China's exercise areas. The Chinese statement made no reference to any radar targeting.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs later urged Tokyo to "halt its dangerous moves of interfering with China's routine drills and exercises."

Rising Tensions and Regional Context

Relations linking China and Japan have soured significantly over the past month. This cooling came after Prime Minister Takaichi stated that hostilities against Taiwan might lead to the dispatch of Japan's Self-Defense Forces should the situation posed an existential threat to the nation.

Takaichi insisted that Japan could invoke its right to collective defense, meaning coming to the aid of an ally. The Prime Minister emphasized that Japan had to "prepare for the most severe possibilities" in the Taiwan Strait.

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

Japan's vice minister for foreign affairs, Funakoshi Takehiro, made a "strong protest" and urged Beijing to "guarantee that such acts do not recur."

Enduring Disputes

Japan and China are also locked in a long-running territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands, which are known as the Diaoyu in China. The tiny, uninhabited islets lie between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Furthermore, broader geopolitical frictions persist. Tokyo has been strengthening cooperation with the US and its allies in the Asia-Pacific area, where several nations are engaged in similar territorial and maritime disputes with Beijing.

Beijing, in turn, asserts vast territorial claims in the South China Sea, a posture that has drawn international concern.