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The Japanese leader, Sanae Takaichi, committed to respond "with calm determination" following claims that People's Liberation Army aircraft acquired a radar lock on Japan's F-15s south-east of the primary island over the past weekend.

An Concerning Aerial Encounter Detailed

As stated by the Japanese defence ministry, China's J-15 jets operating from the aircraft carrier Liaoning activated its targeting radar on Japan's F-15s on two occasions last Saturday. This occurred happened at 4:32 p.m. and occurred again approximately two hours. Officials noted that visual confirmation could not be obtained due to the range involved, adding that no damage or injuries resulted.

"It marked the first time Japan's Ministry of Defense has disclosed an event of this nature," one news agency stated. Fighter jets routinely use radar for search and rescue.

Official Protest and Counter-Claims

Reacting to the allegations, the Chinese military released a declaration rejecting the report as "totally contrary to reality." The statement urged Tokyo to "immediately stop slandering and smearing." Conversely, China claimed that Japan's SDF planes had "posed a grave risk to flight safety" by repeatedly flying near its training zones. The Chinese statement did not mention a radar lock-on.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently called on Japan to "immediately stop its dangerous moves of harassing China's normal drills and exercises."

Escalating Tensions and Broader Background

Ties linking China and Japan have soured markedly in recent weeks. This cooling followed Prime Minister Takaichi stated that hostilities against Taiwan could trigger the deployment of Japanese military if such a conflict posed an extreme danger to Japan.

She insisted that Japan could invoke its right to collective defense, which involves coming to the aid of an ally. The Prime Minister stated that Japan had to "anticipate the most severe possibilities" regarding the Taiwan Strait.

Japan's defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, described Saturday's radar incident as "dangerous and extremely regrettable." In a diplomatic move, the Chinese envoy to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was called in on Sunday.

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

Longstanding Disputes

Japan and China are also locked in a protracted territorial dispute over the islands, called the Diaoyu by Beijing. The tiny, uninhabited islets are situated between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Furthermore, broader geopolitical tensions persist. Japan has been deepening military and strategic ties with American and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region, where several nations have their own territorial and maritime disagreements with China.

China, for its part, maintains vast territorial claims in the South China Sea, a posture that has prompted criticism and legal challenges.