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The Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, committed to act "in a composed yet firm manner" after claims that Chinese military aircraft targeted with fire-control radar Japanese fighter jets southeast of the main island during the past weekend.

A Serious Aerial Encounter Disclosed

As stated by the Japanese Ministry of Defense, China's J-15 fighter aircraft operating from the aircraft carrier Liaoning engaged its targeting radar against Japanese F-15s on two occasions on Saturday. The first incident happened at 1632 hours and was repeated about two hours. The ministry noted that visual confirmation was not possible because of the range involved, adding that there was no damage or casualties occurred.

"This was the first time Japan's defence ministry has reported an event of this nature," a report stated. Fighter jets routinely use radar for target identification.

Diplomatic Objection and Counter-Claims

Reacting to Tokyo's claims, the Chinese navy released a statement dismissing the report as "completely inconsistent with the facts." It demanded Tokyo to "immediately stop making false accusations." Conversely, Beijing claimed that Japan's Self-Defense Forces planes had "seriously endangered flight safety" by repeatedly approaching China's exercise areas. The Chinese statement made no reference to any radar targeting.

An official for China's foreign ministry subsequently urged Tokyo to "immediately stop its provocative actions of harassing our routine military exercise and training."

Escalating Tensions and Regional Background

Ties linking China and Tokyo have worsened markedly over the past month. This cooling followed PM Takaichi stated that hostilities against Taiwan might lead to the deployment of Japanese military should such a conflict presented an extreme danger to the nation.

Takaichi insisted that Tokyo could exercise its right to collective self-defence, meaning assisting a partner under attack. The Prime Minister stated that her country had to "anticipate 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 envoy to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was summoned the following day.

Japan's vice-foreign minister, Funakoshi Takehiro, lodged a "strong protest" and urged Beijing to "guarantee that similar actions are not repeated."

Longstanding Disputes

Japan and China are also locked in a long-running sovereignty disagreement over a group of islands, which are known as the Diaoyu in China. The small, uninhabited islets lie between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Additionally, broader geopolitical frictions persist. Tokyo has been deepening cooperation with American and its partners in the Asia-Pacific area, a region where a number of nations are engaged in their own maritime) disagreements with Beijing.

China, for its part, asserts extensive territorial claims in the South China Sea, activities that has drawn criticism and legal challenges.