Japan Protests After Chinese Fighter Jets Lock Attack Radar on Japanese Aircraft Near Okinawa

Japan has issued a strong diplomatic protest to China after Chinese fighter jets twice locked their fire-control radar onto Japanese aircraft on Saturday near the southern Okinawa islands. Locking radar is a highly provocative and dangerous act, as it is considered a sign of an impending attack. Japan scrambled its own jets in response to the Chinese J-15 fighters, which had been launched from China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the incidents extremely regrettable and demanded that China take firm steps to prevent any recurrence, adding that Japan will respond calmly and resolutely. A Japanese defense official stated that there was “no need” for the Chinese jets to lock on if their intent was training or reconnaissance, stressing that the Japanese aircraft did not provoke the action.

The Chinese navy, however, denied the claims, stating that Japan’s account was “completely inconsistent with the facts” and accusing Tokyo of defaming its forces during a previously announced training exercise.

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This radar incident marks a severe escalation in diplomatic ties, which have rapidly worsened since Prime Minister Takaichi suggested last month that Japan might take military action if Beijing attacks Taiwan. The widening rift is already impacting citizens, with China banning seafood imports from Japan and suspending the screening of Japanese films. Tensions remain high, highlighted by recent conflicting accounts of a confrontation near disputed islands and a suspected Chinese drone detected off a Japanese island where Tokyo plans to deploy missiles.