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

A Concerning Aerial Encounter Disclosed

Per the Japanese defence ministry, Chinese J-15 fighter aircraft operating from the carrier Liaoning engaged their fire-control radar on Japanese F-15s on two occasions on Saturday. The first incident took place at 1632 hours and occurred again about later. Officials noted that a visual sighting could not be obtained due to the range involved, and confirmed that there was no damage or casualties occurred.

"It marked an unprecedented instance Japan's defence ministry has reported such an incident," one news agency noted. Military aircraft routinely employ radar systems to tracking purposes.

Official Protest and Counter-Claims

Reacting to Tokyo's claims, China's military issued a declaration dismissing the report as "completely inconsistent with the facts." It demanded Japan to "immediately stop making false accusations." Conversely, China asserted that Japan's Self-Defense Forces aircraft had "posed a grave risk to flight safety" by consistently approaching its training zones. The Chinese statement did not mention a radar lock-on.

A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs later urged Tokyo to "immediately stop its dangerous moves of interfering with China's routine drills and exercises."

Escalating Tensions and Regional Context

Ties linking Beijing and Tokyo have deteriorated markedly in recent weeks. This cooling followed Prime Minister Takaichi stated that an attack on Taiwan might trigger the deployment of Japanese military should the situation presented an existential threat to the nation.

Takaichi insisted that Tokyo could invoke its legal authority to collective defense, which involves coming to the aid of an ally. The Prime Minister emphasized that her country had to "anticipate the most severe possibilities" in the Taiwan Strait.

Japan's defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, labeled Saturday's encounter as "highly risky and deeply unfortunate." Subsequently, the Chinese ambassador to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was called in on Sunday.

A senior vice minister for foreign affairs, Funakoshi Takehiro, made a "strong protest" and demanded Beijing to "guarantee that similar actions are not repeated."

Longstanding Disputes

Japan and China are also locked in a protracted territorial dispute over the islands, which are known as the Diaoyu in China. The tiny, unoccupied islets lie in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Furthermore, broader geopolitical frictions continue. Japan is strengthening cooperation with the US and other partners in the Indo-Pacific region, a region where a number of nations have similar maritime) disagreements with China.

Beijing, for its part, asserts vast territorial claims in the South China Sea, activities that has drawn international concern.