Japan rejects China’s claim about interference by JSDF fighter jets
On Dec 8, Tokyo, as reported by LatestNewsX, Japan officially denied China’s claim that its Self‑Defence Forces (SDF) fighter jets had interfered with Chinese naval training and caused radar locks on the aircraft.
Speaking to reporters in the capital, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara confirmed that the air aircraft had maintained a "safe distance" from the Chinese warplanes while they were off the southernmost island of Okinawa, according to Kyodo News.
Kihara stressed that communication between the two governments remains "extremely important," even as Beijing has responded to remarks by Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The Japanese leader had warned in November that Tokyo might step in if Taiwan faces an attack from China, a claim that Shanghai regards the self‑governed territory as part of its sovereign lands.
The secretary blasted the radar locks as "dangerous acts beyond what was necessary for the safe flight of aircraft" and pledged that Japan would deploy all available air and maritime surveillance resources while keeping a close eye on Chinese military movements.
These comments followed a statement by the Japanese Defence Ministry that, on the afternoon of Saturday, two J‑15 fighters launched from the carrier Liaoning pointed their radars at a Japan Air Self‑Defence Force F‑15 at about 4:32 p.m. and again at 6:37 p.m., over international waters southeast of Okinawa.
The Chinese fleet, which conducted around 100 take‑offs and landings over the weekend, has intensified concerns over a potential flash‑point situation. The navy warned on Sunday that Japanese aircraft repeatedly entered the Chinese training zone, disrupting operations and putting flight safety at risk.
On December 7, Japan’s Vice‑Minister for Foreign Affairs Takehiro Funakoshi met with Chinese Ambassador Wu Jianghao at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A statement from the Japanese side described the December 6 incident as a J‑15 “intermittently illuminating” a Japanese F‑15 that had entered the same airspace, and noted that Funakoshi had protested strongly and demanded the action not be repeated.
In Beijing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry dismissed Tokyo’s accusations as “irresponsible hype” and “political manipulation.” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun reiterated that China’s drills in the region are conducted in accordance with international law and standard naval practice, calling on Japan to halt any “dangerous actions” that interfere with China’s routine training and to stop “all irresponsible hype and political manipulation.”
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