Japan protests after China military jet locks radar on Japanese aircraft

Japan said Monday that Chinese military aircraft locked radar on its fighter jets even though there was a safe distance between them, denying Beijing’s accusation of interference and renewing its protest over the incident.

“The Self Defense Force (fighter jets) were maintaining safe distance during their mission,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters. “China’s claim that SDF aircraft severely obstructed their safe flight is untrue.”

Japan and Australia urged calm on Sunday after Chinese military aircraft locked radar on the Japanese fighter jets. The incident occurred a month after the Japanese leader’s remarks on Taiwan stirred tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Japan formally protested the incident, calling it “an extremely regrettable” act and “a dangerous” one that “exceeded the scope necessary for safe aircraft operations.”

“We have lodged a strong protest with the Chinese side and demanded strict preventive measures,” Koizumi said.

Japan’s Defense Ministry said China’s military aircraft J-15 took off from the Chinese carrier Liaoning near the southern island of Okinawa on Saturday and “intermittently” latched its radar on Japanese F-15 fighter jets on two occasions Saturday, for about three minutes in the late afternoon and for about 30 minutes in the evening. It was not made clear whether the radar lock incident involved the same Chinese J-15 both times.

Japanese fighter jets had been scrambled to pursue Chinese ones that were conducting aircraft takeoff and landing exercises in the Pacific. They were pursuing the Chinese aircraft at a safe distance and did not take actions that could be interpreted as provocation, Kyodo News agency said, quoting defense officials, when the radar lock happened. There was no breach of Japanese airspace, and no injury or damage was reported from the incident.

Senior Colonel Wang Xuemeng, spokesperson for the Chinese navy, defended China’s flight training near the island of Miyako Saturday, saying Beijing announced the exercises beforehand and accused Japanese aircraft of “harassment.”

“We solemnly asked the Japanese side to immediately stop slandering and smearing, and strictly restrain its frontline actions. The Chinese Navy will take necessary measures in accordance with the law to resolutely safeguard its own security and legitimate rights and interests,” Wang said in a statement posted Sunday on the Chinese Ministry of Defense website.