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The Japanese leader, Sanae Takaichi, committed to respond "with calm determination" after accusations that Chinese military jets locked their radar onto Japan's F-15s south-east of Okinawa's main island over the past weekend.

An Serious Incident Detailed

According to Japan's Ministry of Defense, China's J-15 fighter aircraft operating from the aircraft carrier Liaoning activated its targeting radar on Japan's F-15s twice on Saturday. The first incident happened at 4:32 p.m. and occurred again about two hours. Officials stated that visual confirmation could not be obtained because of the distance, adding that no damage or casualties resulted.

"This was the first time the Japanese Ministry of Defense has reported such an incident," a report stated. Military aircraft routinely use radar for tracking purposes.

Diplomatic Protest and Denials

Reacting to the allegations, the Chinese navy released a statement rejecting them as "totally contrary to the facts." The statement demanded Japan to "cease slandering and smearing." Conversely, Beijing claimed that Japanese Self-Defense Forces planes had "seriously endangered aviation safety" by consistently approaching its training zones. Beijing made no reference to a radar lock-on.

An official for the Chinese foreign ministry subsequently urged Tokyo to "halt its dangerous moves of harassing our routine drills and exercises."

Escalating Tensions and Broader Background

Ties between China and Japan have soured significantly over the past month. The downturn came after Prime Minister Takaichi stated that an attack on Taiwan could lead to the deployment of Japanese military should the situation presented an existential threat to the nation.

She argued that Japan had the right to invoke its right to collective self-defence, meaning coming to the aid of an ally. She emphasized that her country had to "prepare for a worst-case scenario" regarding the Taiwan Strait.

Japan's Defense Minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, labeled Saturday's radar incident as "highly risky and deeply unfortunate." Subsequently, the Chinese envoy to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was called in the following day.

A senior vice-foreign minister, Funakoshi Takehiro, lodged a "formal complaint" and urged the Chinese government to "guarantee that such acts are not repeated."

Longstanding Disputes

The two nations have a long-running sovereignty disagreement over a group of islands, called the Diaoyu by Beijing. The small, unoccupied islands are situated in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Additionally, broader geopolitical frictions persist. Tokyo has been deepening military and strategic ties with American and other allies in the Asia-Pacific region, where a number of nations are engaged in their own maritime) disputes with Beijing.

Beijing, in turn, asserts vast sovereignty claims in adjacent seas, a posture that has prompted criticism and legal challenges.