Japan said on Sunday that Chinese fighter jets had aimed their radar at Japanese military aircraft in two “dangerous” incidents near Japan’s Okinawa islands, an account Beijing disputed.
“These radar illuminations are a dangerous act that went beyond what is necessary for the safe flight of aircraft,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters, adding that Japan had lodged a protest with China over Saturday’s “extremely regrettable” incident.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, meeting with his Australian counterpart Richard Marles in Tokyo, said Japan would respond “resolutely and calmly” to China’s conduct in order to maintain regional peace and stability.
But a Chinese navy spokesperson, Colonel Wang Xuemeng, said Japanese aircraft had repeatedly approached and disrupted the Chinese navy as it was conducting previously announced carrier-based flight training east of the Miyako Strait.
China-Japan ties strained over Taiwan
The encounters near islands claimed by both Japan and China are the most serious run-ins between the two militaries in years and are likely to further escalate tension between the two East Asian powers.
Relations have soured in the past month since Takaichi warned that Japan could respond to any Chinese military action against Taiwan if it also threatened Japan’s security.
Directing a radar beam at another aircraft is a threatening step because it signals a potential attack and may force the targeted plane to take evasive action. Japan did not say whether the Chinese had locked on their planes or how Japan’s aircraft responded.
Wang, in a statement on official social media channels, countered that Japan’s statement was erroneous and its actions had seriously endangered flight safety.
“We solemnly demand that the Japanese side immediately stop slandering and smearing and strictly restrain front-line actions,” Wang said. “The Chinese Navy will take necessary measures in accordance with the law to resolutely safeguard its own security and legitimate rights and interests.”
