Tensions between Asia’s two largest powers edged higher this weekend after Japan accused Chinese fighter jets of locking their targeting radars onto Japanese aircraft — an act widely interpreted by militaries as a signal of possible attack.
Tokyo says the incidents happened twice on Saturday near the southern Okinawa islands. In both cases, Chinese J-15 jets, operating from the carrier Liaoning, directed their fire-control radars at Japanese planes, prompting Japan to scramble its own fighters. No damage or injuries were reported, but the symbolism was unmistakable.
China promptly rejected the claim, accusing Japan of “harassing” its forces during a routine training exercise it says was publicly announced in advance. The Chinese navy called Tokyo’s account “completely inconsistent with the facts.”
The exchange marks the latest flare-up in a month-long spiral that began when Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Japan could respond militarily if China attacked Taiwan. Beijing, which views Taiwan as a breakaway province, reacted sharply, warning Tokyo against what it called “dangerous provocations.”
Since then, rhetoric has hardened on both sides, drifting into daily life. China has urged its citizens to avoid travel to Japan, suspended screenings of Japanese films, and maintained a ban on Japanese seafood imports. Encounters at sea and in the air have grown testier, too.
Just last week, the coast guards of both countries issued dueling narratives about a confrontation near disputed islands in the East China Sea. And two weeks ago, Japan scrambled jets when a suspected Chinese drone appeared near Yonaguni, a small island close to Taiwan where Tokyo now plans to deploy missiles — a move that has further unsettled Beijing.
A senior Japanese defense official said the intent of the Chinese pilots on Saturday was “unclear,” but noted there was “no need” to use radar lock-on simply to detect nearby aircraft. He added that the Japanese jets “did not do anything that could be considered a provocation.”
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Prime Minister Takaichi condemned the radar incidents as “extremely regrettable,” telling reporters in Ishikawa prefecture that Japan had lodged a strong protest and demanded steps to prevent a repeat. “We will respond calmly and resolutely,” she said.
Both nations appear intent on projecting firmness without triggering a clash. But the margin for miscalculation — in crowded skies, around contested waters — is growing thinner.
