Japan and Australia called for calm on Sunday after Chinese military aircraft locked radar onto Japanese fighter jets, following recent remarks by Japan’s leader on Taiwan that heightened tensions with Beijing. Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Japan lodged a formal protest, calling the radar lock “extremely regrettable” and a dangerous act that went beyond what is necessary for safe aviation.
He said Japan demanded that China take strict measures to prevent similar incidents. According to Japan’s Defence Ministry, a Chinese J-15 fighter jet took off from the carrier Liaoning near Okinawa on Saturday and intermittently locked its radar on Japanese F-15s twice, once for about three minutes and later for roughly 30 minutes. It was not confirmed whether the same Chinese aircraft was involved in both cases.
Japanese jets had been scrambled to monitor Chinese aircraft conducting takeoff and landing drills in the Pacific and maintained a safe distance, with no provocation or airspace violations reported. Chinese navy spokesperson Senior Colonel Wang Xuemeng defended the exercises near Miyako Island and accused Japanese aircraft of harassment.
Relations between Tokyo and Beijing have further deteriorated since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that Japan’s military might intervene if China acted against Taiwan.
China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning
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