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The Japanese leader, Sanae Takaichi, has pledged to respond "calmly and resolutely" after claims that People's Liberation Army jets locked their radar onto Japan's fighter jets southeast of the primary island during the weekend.

A Serious Incident Disclosed

According to Japan's Ministry of Defense, China's J-15 fighter aircraft operating from the aircraft carrier Liaoning engaged their fire-control radar on Japanese F-15s twice last Saturday. This occurred took place at 4:32 p.m. and was repeated about two hours. Officials stated that visual confirmation could not be obtained due to the distance, and confirmed that there was no damage or injuries resulted.

"This was the first time the Japanese Ministry of Defense has reported an event of this nature," a report noted. Fighter jets commonly employ radar systems for tracking purposes.

Diplomatic Objection and Denials

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." Conversely, China asserted that Japanese SDF aircraft had "posed a grave risk to aviation safety" by consistently flying near its exercise areas. Beijing did not mention any radar targeting.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently urged Japan to "immediately stop its provocative actions of harassing China's normal drills and exercises."

Rising Strains and Broader Context

Relations linking Beijing and Japan have deteriorated significantly in recent weeks. This cooling came after PM Takaichi stated that hostilities against Taiwan might lead to the dispatch of Japanese Self-Defense Forces should the situation posed an extreme danger to Japan.

Takaichi argued that Japan could invoke its right to collective defense, meaning assisting a partner under attack. She emphasized that Japan had to "anticipate a worst-case scenario" regarding the Taiwan Strait.

The Japanese defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, described the radar incident as "dangerous and extremely regrettable." Subsequently, the Chinese envoy to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was summoned the following day.

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

Enduring Points of Contention

Japan and China are also locked in a protracted sovereignty disagreement over the Senkaku Islands, called the Diaoyu by Beijing. The small, uninhabited islands are situated in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Furthermore, regional frictions persist. Tokyo is strengthening cooperation with the US and other partners in the Asia-Pacific area, a region where a number of nations are engaged in their own territorial and maritime disagreements with Beijing.

China, for its part, maintains vast sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, activities that has prompted international concern.