Tokyo [Japan], December 8 : Japan on Monday rejected China's accusation that interference by its Self-Defence Forces (SDF) led to Chinese military aircraft locking fire-control radars on Japanese fighters, calling the claim "baseless" amid heightened tensions following Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent comments on a potential Taiwan contingency, Kyodo News reported.
Speaking at a press briefing, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said that the country's Air Self-Defence Force (ASDF) jets maintained a "safe distance" from Chinese aircraft during the incident off Okinawa on Saturday.
He stressed that clear communication between the defence authorities of both nations remains "extremely important", even as China continues to retaliate diplomatically over Takaichi's earlier remarks on Tokyo's possible response to an attack on Taiwan, as reported by Kyodo News.
According to Japan's Defence Ministry, Chinese J-15 fighters from the Chinese carrier Liaoning locked their radars on an ASDF F-15 at around 4:32 pm (local time) and again on another aircraft at 6:37 pm (local time) on Saturday over international waters southeast of Okinawa.
The ministry stated the Chinese carrier group conducted nearly 100 flight operationstakeoffs and landings involving fighters and helicoptersduring weekend drills in the Pacific, prompting concerns over the risk of an unintended clash, Kyodo News reported.
China's navy accused Japanese aircraft of repeatedly approaching and disrupting its training activities, claiming the manoeuvres "seriously endangered flight safety".
The radar-lock incident unfolded as bilateral tensions escalated over Takaichi's November 7 parliamentary statement suggesting that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could amount to a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, potentially enabling Tokyo to support US military operations. Beijing sharply criticised the remarks, calling them provocative, Kyodo News reported.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara described the radar targeting as a "dangerous act beyond what is necessary for safe flight" and said Tokyo would continue to strengthen air and maritime surveillance while closely tracking Chinese military movements.
Within Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), lawmakers expressed strong concern over China's actions.
LDP policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi called the radar lock "totally unacceptable", while Itsunori Onodera, head of the party's security research commission and a former defence minister, warned that the incident had elevated the situation to a "far more dangerous stage".
He said he expects the United States to share Tokyo's assessment and deliver a clear message to Beijing, as reported by Kyodo News.
Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki also voiced alarm during a meeting with Defence Ministry officials, stating that the developments were raising regional tensions and risked triggering an unintended incident.
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