Japan has officially protested after Chinese fighter jets locked their radar onto Japanese aircraft near the southern Okinawa islands, signalling a worrying escalation in tensions between the two nations.
Radar locking is widely interpreted as a threatening military action, often suggesting the possibility of an imminent attack. On Saturday, Chinese J-15 fighters launched from the Liaoning aircraft carrier targeted Japanese fighters with radar locks twice—first at 16:32 local time and again around 18:37.
Japan responded by scrambling its own jets to engage the Chinese planes. A spokesperson from Japan’s defence ministry described the motive behind the radar locks as “unclear” but underscored that the Japanese aircraft “did not do anything that could be considered a provocation.” They also noted that such radar targeting would not be necessary if the Chinese jets were merely tracking other aircraft.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed deep regret over the incidents during a press briefing in Wajima, Ishikawa, confirming that Japan had formally protested to Beijing and demanded steps to prevent a recurrence. “We will respond calmly and resolutely,” she stated.
In contrast, the Chinese navy rejected these claims, describing them as “completely inconsistent with the facts.” Beijing accused Japan of harassing Chinese forces during a routine training exercise and called on Tokyo to stop slandering and smearing its military. China stressed that its manoeuvres in the area had been previously announced.
These developments follow a month of mounting diplomatic strain triggered by Prime Minister Takaichi’s public suggestion that Japan might consider military measures should China attack Taiwan. Beijing regards Taiwan—a self-governing island since 1949—as a breakaway province and has not ruled out using force to assert reunification.
The intensifying dispute has heightened hostile rhetoric between Japan and China, spilling over into everyday life for citizens in both countries. Last week, Japan and China’s coast guards clashed over conflicting claims of a confrontation near disputed islands in the East China Sea.
Moreover, two weeks ago, Japan scrambled jets after detecting a suspected Chinese drone near Yonaguni Island, one of Japan’s closest outposts to Taiwan.
Japan’s plans to deploy missile systems on Yonaguni have further angered Beijing. In retaliation, China has advised its citizens to avoid travel to Japan, banned imports of Japanese seafood, and halted the release of popular Japanese films.
Observers note that these tensions reflect wider regional dynamics, as both Beijing and Tokyo assert their military and strategic interests amid unresolved disputes over territory such as the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands.