Chinese military aircraft repeatedly locked fire-control radar on Japanese fighter jets over the Pacific this weekend, prompting a formal protest from Tokyo and calls for restraint from both Japan and Australia.
Japan’s Defense Ministry said a Chinese J-15 fighter jet operating from the carrier Liaoning “intermittently” targeted Japanese F-15s on two occasions Saturday near Okinawa — once for about three minutes in the late afternoon, and again for roughly 30 minutes in the evening. No airspace violations, injuries, or damage were reported.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi condemned the actions as “extremely regrettable,” “dangerous,” and beyond what is required for safe aircraft operations.
“We have lodged a strong protest with the Chinese side and demanded strict preventive measures,” Koizumi said.
Japanese F-15s had scrambled to monitor Chinese aircraft conducting takeoff and landing drills in the Pacific but maintained safe distance and did not engage in provocative maneuvers, according to defense officials.
China pushed back Sunday, accusing Japan of “harassment” during pre-announced training near Miyako Island. Senior Colonel Wang Xuemeng said Beijing has demanded Tokyo “stop slandering and smearing” and warned the Chinese Navy would take “necessary measures” to protect its security and interests.
The confrontation comes weeks after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Japan’s military could intervene if China moved against Taiwan — remarks that drew sharp criticism from Beijing and further strained ties. On Sunday, Takaichi called the radar lock “extremely disappointing” and said Japan would act “calmly and resolutely” while increasing surveillance around its territory.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, in Tokyo for scheduled talks, also expressed concern.
“We are deeply concerned by the actions of China in the last 24 hours,” Marles said, adding that Australia expects military encounters to be “safe and professional.” He reiterated Canberra’s opposition to any unilateral change in the Taiwan Strait’s status quo.
Japan and Australia used their Sunday meeting to advance a new “framework for strategic defense coordination,” expanding cooperation as Japan deepens security ties beyond its treaty alliance with the United States. Japan increasingly views Australia as a semi-ally.
The radar incident is believed to be the first involving Chinese and Japanese military aircraft. A Chinese warship previously locked radar on a Japanese destroyer in 2013.
Elsewhere in the region, the Philippine coast guard reported that Chinese forces fired three flares toward a fisheries bureau patrol plane in the South China Sea on Saturday. China regularly uses flares to warn aircraft away from contested areas it claims as its airspace.
