Washington DC [US], December 10 : The US has for the first time criticised the Chinese military's use of radar on Japanese fighter jets last week, as Tokyo refuted Beijing's claims it had given sufficient advance notice of military drills near Japan, The Japan Times reported.
"China's actions are not conducive to regional peace and stability," a State Department spokesperson told The Japan Times via email on Wednesday. "The US-Japan Alliance is stronger and more united than ever. Our commitment to our ally Japan is unwavering, and we are in close contact on this and other issues."
The criticism was the first comment by US President Donald Trump's administration following Saturday's incident that saw Chinese fighters dispatched from the Liaoning aircraft carrier twice illuminate Air Self-Defence Force jets with radar, maneuvers that Tokyo has lambasted as "dangerous," as per The Japan Times.
The radar incident comes as Tokyo and Beijing remain embroiled in an increasingly acrimonious dispute following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's November 7 remarks that the Self-Defence Forces could be deployed under certain "worst-case" scenarios, such as a Chinese naval blockade of Taiwan, which she said would constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan.
Trump himself has yet to publicly weigh in on either the radar incident or Takaichi's comments, frustrating Japanese officials, who have reportedly urged Him to offer Tokyo greater public support amid tensions with Beijing.
But with Trump eager to seal a trade deal with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a planned state visit to Beijing in April, his administration has largely shied away from moves that could alienate China.
Japan's top government spokesman on Wednesday welcomed the State Department's comments, saying they "demonstrate the strength of the US-Japan alliance," as per The Japan Times.
But Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara also explicitly noted that "gaining other countries' understanding" in Japan's dispute with China remains "extremely important."
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