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The Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, vowed to act "calmly and resolutely" following accusations that People's Liberation Army jets locked their radar onto Japan's fighter jets south-east of the primary island during the weekend.

An Serious Incident Disclosed

Per Japan's defence ministry, Chinese J-15 jets from the carrier Liaoning activated their targeting radar on Japan's F-15s on two occasions last Saturday. The first incident happened at 1632 hours and was repeated approximately two hours. The ministry noted that a visual sighting was not possible because of the distance, and confirmed that there was no damage or casualties resulted.

"It marked the first time the Japanese defence ministry has made public an event of this nature," one news agency noted. Military aircraft routinely use radar for target identification.

Official Objection and Counter-Claims

In response to Tokyo's claims, China's navy released a declaration rejecting the report as "completely inconsistent with reality." The statement urged Japan to "cease slandering and smearing." Conversely, Beijing claimed that Japan's SDF aircraft had "posed a grave risk to flight safety" by consistently flying near its exercise areas. The Chinese statement made no reference to a radar lock-on.

An official for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently called on Tokyo to "immediately stop its dangerous moves of harassing China's routine military exercise and training."

Escalating Tensions and Regional Background

Ties between Beijing and Tokyo have deteriorated markedly in recent weeks. The downturn came after PM Takaichi stated that hostilities against Taiwan could trigger the dispatch of Japan's Self-Defense Forces if the situation presented an existential threat to Japan.

Takaichi insisted that Japan could invoke its legal authority to collective self-defence, which involves assisting a partner under attack. The Prime Minister stated that her country had to "prepare for the most severe possibilities" regarding the Taiwan Strait.

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

Japan's vice-foreign minister, Funakoshi Takehiro, made a "strong protest" and demanded the Chinese government to "guarantee that such acts are not repeated."

Enduring Disputes

The two nations have a protracted sovereignty disagreement over a group of islands, which are known as the Diaoyu by Beijing. The small, unoccupied islands lie in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Additionally, regional frictions persist. Japan has been strengthening military and strategic ties with American and other partners in the Indo-Pacific region, where several countries are engaged in similar territorial and maritime disputes with China.

Beijing, in turn, asserts extensive sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, activities that has prompted criticism and legal challenges.