🔗 Share this article The Japanese PM Vows a 'Resolute' Response Following Radar Lock-On Altercation With Chinese Fighter Jets. Japan's leader, Sanae Takaichi, has pledged to respond "with calm determination" after claims that People's Liberation Army jets locked their radar onto Japan's fighter jets south-east of Okinawa's primary island over the past weekend. A Concerning Aerial Encounter Detailed Per the Japanese defence ministry, Chinese J-15 jets from the aircraft carrier Liaoning activated their fire-control radar on Japan's F-15s on two occasions last Saturday. The first incident happened at 4:32 p.m. and was repeated approximately later. Officials stated that a visual sighting could not be obtained due to the range involved, adding that no damage or injuries resulted. "It marked an unprecedented instance the Japanese defence ministry has disclosed such an incident," one news agency noted. Military aircraft routinely employ radar systems to target identification. Diplomatic Protest and Counter-Claims In response to Tokyo's claims, China's navy issued a declaration dismissing them as "completely inconsistent with reality." The statement demanded Tokyo to "cease making false accusations." Conversely, Beijing asserted that Japanese Self-Defense Forces aircraft had "posed a grave risk to flight safety" by consistently approaching China's training zones. Beijing made no reference to any radar targeting. An official for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently called on Japan to "halt its dangerous moves of harassing China's routine drills and exercises." Rising Tensions and Broader Background Relations between Beijing and Tokyo have soured significantly in recent weeks. This cooling came after Prime Minister Takaichi remarked that hostilities against Taiwan might lead to the dispatch of Japan's military should such a conflict posed an extreme danger to Japan. She insisted that Japan had the right to invoke its legal authority to collective defense, meaning coming to the aid of an ally. She stated that her country had to "prepare for a worst-case scenario" regarding the Taiwan Strait. Japan's Defense Minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, described Saturday's radar incident as "dangerous and extremely regrettable." In a diplomatic move, China's ambassador to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was called in on Sunday. Japan's vice-foreign minister, Funakoshi Takehiro, made a "formal complaint" and urged the Chinese government to "guarantee that such acts are not repeated." Longstanding Points of Contention The two nations are also locked in a long-running sovereignty disagreement over the Senkaku Islands, which are known as the Diaoyu by Beijing. These small, uninhabited islets are situated in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan. Additionally, regional tensions persist. Tokyo has been deepening military and strategic ties with the US and its allies in the Asia-Pacific area, where several nations are engaged in similar maritime) disputes with Beijing. China, for its part, asserts extensive territorial claims in adjacent seas, activities that has drawn international concern.