Tokyo
AP
—
Japan said on Monday that Chinese military jets had hit its radar on the planes despite a safe distance between them, denying Beijing’s suspicions of interference and renewing its protest over the incident.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters, “The Self-Defense Forces (fighter planes) maintained a safe distance during their mission.” “China’s claim that Self-Defense Forces aircraft significantly disrupted safe flight is false.”
Japan and Australia appealed for calm on Sunday after a Chinese military jet flashed its radar at a Japanese fighter jet. The incident occurred a month after the Japanese leader’s comments regarding Taiwan sparked tensions between Japan and China.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Japan has formally protested the incident, calling it “extremely regrettable” and a “dangerous” act that “goes beyond what is necessary for the safe operation of aircraft.”
Prime Minister Koizumi said, “We have strongly protested to the Chinese side and asked for strict measures to prevent a recurrence.”
Japan’s Defense Ministry said a J-15 military jet took off from the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning near the southern island of Okinawa on Saturday and “intermittently” illuminated a Japanese F-15 fighter jet with its radar for about three minutes late Saturday afternoon and for about 30 minutes in the evening. It is not clear whether the two radar lock incidents involved the same Chinese J-15.
Japanese fighter jets scrambled to pursue Chinese jets that were conducting takeoff and landing training in the Pacific Ocean. Kyodo News quoted a defense official as saying that the Chinese military was tracking the Chinese aircraft at a safe distance when the radar lock occurred and did not take any actions that could be interpreted as a provocation. There was no violation of Japanese airspace, and no injuries or damage were reported as a result of the incident.
Chinese Navy spokesman Senior Colonel Wang Xuemeng on Saturday defended China’s flight training near Miyako Island, accusing the Chinese government of announcing the training in advance and accusing Japanese aircraft of “harassment”.
“We solemnly urge the Japanese side to immediately stop the slander and slander, and strictly suppress its actions on the front lines. The Chinese Navy will take necessary measures in accordance with the law to resolutely protect its own security and legitimate rights and interests,” Wang said in a statement posted on the Chinese Ministry of Defense’s website on Sunday.
Kihara on Monday stressed the importance of maintaining communication between the two countries, but declined to say whether a hotline established between the two countries in 2018 was used during the lock-on incident.
At an emergency meeting on Monday, senior officials from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party expressed concern that the radar incident may indicate an increased security risk posed by China.
Relations between Japan and China have soured since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in early November that the military could be involved if China took action against Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.
Takaichi later said on Sunday that the radar lock-in was “very disappointing.”
Prime Minister stated that he would “act calmly and resolutely,” and that he would do his best to monitor China’s territorial waters and airspace while keeping a close eye on China’s military activities around Japan.
Japan and Australia, whose defense ministers were scheduled to meet in Tokyo on Sunday, expressed concern about the developments.
“We are deeply concerned by China’s actions over the past 24 hours,” Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said at a joint press conference on Sunday after meeting with Prime Minister Koizumi. “We expect these interactions to be safe and professional.”
Mr Marles said Australia “doesn’t want the status quo to change across the Taiwan Strait”, adding that China is Australia’s largest trading partner and he wants to have a productive relationship with China.
“We will continue to reassert China on these issues in a very calm, sensible and moderate way,” he said.
Japan and Australia agreed in talks on Sunday to strengthen military ties to lead multilateral defense cooperation in the region. The two ministers agreed to form a comprehensive “Strategic Defense Coordination Framework” and discuss further details.
The Japanese government is accelerating its military buildup while expanding its defense ties beyond the United States, its only treaty ally. It currently considers Australia a quasi-ally.
Marles also visited the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Nagasaki on Saturday to see production of the improved Mogami-class frigates that the country selected in September to replace its aging fleet.
Saturday’s radar lock is believed to be the first involving Japanese and Chinese military aircraft. According to Kyodo News, a Chinese warship beamed its radar at a Japanese destroyer in 2013.
Fighter jets use radar for search operations and fire control before launching missiles.
Elsewhere in the Pacific, the Philippine Coast Guard said Saturday that China fired three flares at a Fisheries Department aircraft on patrol in the South China Sea. China’s military fired smoke bombs over the disputed area to warn aircraft to leave what it considers its airspace.
