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Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has pledged to act "calmly and resolutely" following reports that People's Liberation Army aircraft locked their radar onto Japanese fighter jets southeast of the main island during the weekend.

A Concerning Incident Reported

Per Japan's defence ministry, China's J-15 fighter aircraft from the aircraft carrier Liaoning engaged their fire-control radar against Japan's F-15s on two occasions last Saturday. This occurred happened at 4:32 p.m. and was repeated about two hours. Officials noted that visual confirmation could not be obtained because of the range involved, adding that no damage or casualties were reported.

"It marked an unprecedented instance the Japanese defence ministry has disclosed an event of this nature," one news agency stated. Military aircraft routinely use radar for tracking purposes.

Diplomatic Objection and Denials

Reacting to Tokyo's claims, the Chinese military released a statement dismissing them as "completely inconsistent with the facts." The statement demanded Tokyo to "immediately stop slandering and smearing." Instead, Beijing asserted that Japan's Self-Defense Forces planes had "posed a grave risk to flight safety" by consistently flying near China's exercise areas. The Chinese statement did not mention a radar lock-on.

A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry later urged Tokyo to "halt its provocative actions of interfering with China's routine drills and exercises."

Escalating Tensions and Broader Background

Ties linking Beijing and Japan have soured markedly in recent weeks. The downturn followed Prime Minister Takaichi stated that hostilities against Taiwan might lead to the deployment of Japan's Self-Defense Forces should such a conflict posed an extreme danger to Japan.

She insisted that Japan could exercise its right to collective self-defence, 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 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 "strong protest" and urged Beijing to "guarantee that such acts do not recur."

Enduring Points of Contention

Japan and China are also locked in a protracted sovereignty disagreement over a group of islands, called the Diaoyu in China. The tiny, unoccupied islets lie in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Furthermore, regional frictions persist. Tokyo has been strengthening cooperation with American and its allies in the Asia-Pacific area, where several nations are engaged in their own territorial and maritime disagreements with Beijing.

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