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Japan's leader, Sanae Takaichi, committed to act "with calm determination" after claims that People's Liberation Army aircraft targeted with fire-control radar Japanese fighter jets south-east of the main island over the past weekend.

An Concerning Incident Reported

Per Japan's Ministry of Defense, China's J-15 jets operating from the carrier Liaoning activated its targeting radar against Japan's F-15s on two occasions last Saturday. The first incident happened at 4:32 p.m. and occurred again approximately two hours. Officials stated that a visual sighting was not possible due to the range involved, adding that there was no damage or casualties occurred.

"This was the first time the Japanese defence ministry has made public such an incident," a report stated. Fighter jets commonly employ radar systems to target identification.

Official Objection and Counter-Claims

In response to Tokyo's claims, China's navy issued a declaration rejecting them as "totally contrary to reality." The statement demanded Japan to "cease making false accusations." Conversely, Beijing asserted that Japanese Self-Defense Forces planes had "seriously endangered aviation safety" by consistently flying near its exercise areas. The Chinese statement made no reference to any radar targeting.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently urged Japan to "immediately stop its provocative actions of harassing our normal drills and exercises."

Escalating Strains and Regional Background

Ties linking Beijing and Japan have deteriorated markedly in recent weeks. The downturn followed PM Takaichi remarked that hostilities against Taiwan might lead to the dispatch of Japanese military if the situation presented an extreme danger to the nation.

Takaichi argued that Tokyo could invoke its right to collective self-defence, which involves assisting a partner under attack. The Prime Minister emphasized that Japan had to "anticipate the most severe possibilities" in the Taiwan Strait.

Japan's defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, labeled Saturday's encounter as "dangerous and extremely regrettable." In a diplomatic move, China's envoy to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was summoned on Sunday.

A senior vice minister for foreign affairs, Funakoshi Takehiro, lodged a "formal complaint" and urged Beijing to "guarantee that such acts do not recur."

Enduring Disputes

Japan and China have a long-running sovereignty disagreement over the Senkaku Islands, called the Diaoyu in China. The small, unoccupied islets lie in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.

Additionally, regional frictions persist. Japan has been deepening cooperation with the US and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region, a region where several nations have their own maritime) disagreements with China.

China, for its part, maintains extensive sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, activities that has drawn criticism and legal challenges.