Japan rejects claims of locking radar on Chinese jets

(MENAFN) Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Wednesday dismissed allegations from China that Japanese Self-Defense Forces jets had locked radar onto Chinese aircraft during recent fighter jet encounters, according to reports.

Koizumi’s statement follows conflicting accounts from both countries regarding the air interactions. On Saturday, the Japanese Defense Ministry reported that Chinese J-15 jets from the carrier Liaoning had locked radar onto two ASDF F-15 jets over international waters southeast of Okinawa.

The next day, the Chinese navy claimed that Japanese aircraft "repeatedly approached and disrupted" the Chinese naval training area and airspace, stating that they "seriously endangered flight safety," without mentioning any radar lock.

The incident occurs amid rising tensions between China and Japan following remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on November 7, in which she said that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could legally be considered a "survival-threatening situation," potentially permitting Japan to "exercise the right of collective self-defense."

China responded sharply to these comments, advising tourists against visiting Japan, halting seafood imports, and postponing a trilateral cultural ministers’ meeting with Japan and South Korea.

Taiwan, claimed by Beijing, lies near Japan’s Yonaguni Island, heightening the strategic sensitivity of the area.

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