Japan has summoned China’s ambassador after accusing Chinese fighter aircraft of locking their radar on to Japanese jets near the Okinawa islands. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi vowed to “respond calmly and resolutely” and strengthen maritime and airspace surveillance.
The alleged incident occurred on Saturday southeast of Okinawa, where China’s People’s Liberation Army said it was conducting “far-sea training”. Japan’s defence ministry reported about 100 fighter jet take-offs from China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier, and said Chinese J-15s directed fire-control radar on to Japanese F-15s twice, at 4.32pm and about two hours later. Visual confirmation was not possible due to distance, and no damage or injuries were caused.
Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi called the incident “dangerous and extremely regrettable”, saying the radar illuminations went beyond what is necessary for safe flight. Vice-Foreign Minister Funakoshi Takehiro made a “strong protest” to Ambassador Wu Jianghao. China rejected the claims as “completely inconsistent with the facts”, accusing Japan of “maliciously following and harassing” its carrier group.
Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China’s defence ministry, said Japan repeatedly sent aircraft into exercise zones China had demarcated. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson accused Japan of “hyping up the so-called issue of ‘radar illumination’ to build up tension”.
The dispute follows weeks of bilateral tension after Takaichi’s comments that a PLA attack on Taiwan could trigger Japanese military involvement. Beijing retaliated by reimposing a ban on Japanese seafood and sending vessels into disputed waters near the Senkaku Islands.
