Japan's PM Pledges an 'Resolute' Response In the Wake of Radar Lock-On Event With China's Aircraft.

Japan's leader, Sanae Takaichi, has pledged to respond "calmly and resolutely" after claims that Chinese military aircraft locked their radar onto Japanese F-15s southeast of the primary island during the weekend.

A Serious Aerial Encounter Disclosed

As stated by Japan's defence ministry, China's J-15 jets from the carrier Liaoning activated their targeting radar on Japanese F-15s on two occasions last Saturday. The first incident happened at 1632 hours and occurred again about later. The ministry stated that visual confirmation could not be obtained due to the distance, and confirmed that there was no damage or injuries were reported.

"It marked an unprecedented instance the Japanese Ministry of Defense has reported such an incident," one news agency noted. Fighter jets commonly employ radar systems for search and rescue.

Diplomatic Objection and Denials

Reacting to Tokyo's claims, China's navy released a declaration rejecting the report as "completely inconsistent with reality." It demanded Japan to "immediately stop slandering and smearing." Instead, Beijing asserted that Japanese SDF planes had "seriously endangered aviation safety" by repeatedly approaching its exercise areas. The Chinese statement did not mention any radar targeting.

An official for the Chinese foreign ministry subsequently urged Japan to "immediately stop its provocative actions of harassing China's normal military exercise and training."

Rising Tensions and Regional Background

Ties between Beijing and Tokyo have worsened markedly in recent weeks. This cooling came after Prime Minister Takaichi remarked that an attack on Taiwan could lead to the deployment of Japanese military if the situation posed an extreme danger to Japan.

She insisted that Tokyo could exercise its right to collective defense, which involves assisting a partner under attack. She stated that her country had to "prepare for the most severe possibilities" in the Taiwan Strait.

Japan's defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, described Saturday's radar incident as "highly risky and deeply unfortunate." Subsequently, China's envoy to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was summoned the following day.

Japan's vice minister for foreign affairs, Funakoshi Takehiro, lodged a "formal complaint" and urged the Chinese government to "guarantee that similar actions are not repeated."

Longstanding Disputes

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

Furthermore, broader geopolitical frictions continue. Japan has been deepening cooperation with the US and its allies in the Indo-Pacific area, where a number of nations have their own maritime) disagreements with Beijing.

Beijing, in turn, maintains vast territorial claims in adjacent seas, a posture that has drawn criticism and legal challenges.