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Japan's leader, Sanae Takaichi, has pledged to act "calmly and resolutely" following claims that People's Liberation Army aircraft locked their radar onto Japanese F-15s south-east of Okinawa's main island over the weekend.

A Serious Aerial Encounter Reported

Per Japan's Ministry of Defense, China's J-15 jets operating from the aircraft carrier Liaoning activated its fire-control radar against Japanese F-15s twice last Saturday. This occurred happened at 1632 hours and was repeated approximately two hours. Officials noted that a visual sighting was not possible due to the range involved, and confirmed that no damage or casualties occurred.

"It marked an unprecedented instance the Japanese defence ministry has reported such an incident," one news agency stated. Fighter jets commonly employ radar systems for target identification.

Diplomatic Protest and Denials

In response to the allegations, China's navy issued a statement dismissing them as "completely inconsistent with reality." The statement urged Tokyo to "immediately stop slandering and smearing." Conversely, Beijing asserted that Japanese SDF aircraft had "seriously endangered aviation safety" by repeatedly approaching its training zones. Beijing did not mention a radar lock-on.

An official for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs later urged Tokyo to "immediately stop its provocative actions of harassing our routine military exercise and training."

Rising Strains and Regional Background

Ties between Beijing and Tokyo have soured significantly over the past month. The downturn came after Prime Minister Takaichi remarked that an attack on Taiwan might trigger the dispatch of Japanese military should the situation presented an existential threat to the nation.

Takaichi insisted that Tokyo could exercise its legal authority to collective defense, which involves coming to the aid of an ally. The Prime Minister emphasized that Japan had to "prepare for the most severe possibilities" regarding the Taiwan Strait.

Japan's defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, labeled Saturday's encounter as "dangerous and extremely regrettable." Subsequently, the Chinese envoy to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was called in the following day.

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

Longstanding Disputes

Japan and China have a protracted territorial dispute over a group of Senkaku Islands, called the Diaoyu by Beijing. These small, uninhabited islets are situated in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Furthermore, regional frictions persist. Japan has been deepening military and strategic ties with the US and its partners in the Asia-Pacific area, where several countries are engaged in similar territorial and maritime disputes with Beijing.

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