Japan has lodged a formal protest following two separate incidents where Chinese fighter jets reportedly engaged their fire-control radars on Japanese aircraft. These events occurred on Saturday in international airspace off Japan's southern Okinawa islands. The act of locking radar onto an aircraft is commonly perceived as a hostile action, indicating a potential prelude to an attack.
In response to the presence of Chinese J-15 fighter jets, Japan dispatched its own fighter aircraft. Concurrently, Beijing issued a statement accusing Tokyo's forces of "harassing" its military units during a routine training exercise. Neither incident resulted in reported injuries or physical damage to any aircraft.
These occurrences take place amidst an ongoing deterioration of diplomatic relations between Japan and China. Tensions have intensified since a statement last month by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who suggested that Japan might consider military action should China launch an attack on Taiwan. Beijing maintains that self-governed Taiwan is an integral part of its territory and has not publicly renounced the option of using force for its unification. Both nations have recently engaged in increased rhetorical exchanges concerning their respective positions.
Adding to the recent strains, China and Japan's coast guard agencies provided conflicting reports last week regarding a confrontation near disputed territorial islands situated in the East China Sea.