Two Fighters From Chinese Carrier Lock Radars on Japanese Aircraft

The Japan Ministry of Defence has reported that two fighters from the Chinese carrier Liaoning locked targeting radars onto two Japanese F-15s off the coast of Okinawa, where the U.S. military maintains a large forward presence. It is among the most assertive encounters between Chinese and Japanese forces in recent weeks, and reflects rising tensions over Japan's newly-confirmed willingness to defend Taiwan from the People's Republic of China.

On Saturday evening, a J-15 fighter jet from Liaoning violated Japanese airspace to the southeast of Okinawa. A Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15 fighter arrived on scene and took measures to respond. Just after 1630 hours, the Chinese jet "intermittently illuminated" the Japanese aircraft with its fire control radar - an escalatory act, as it is the step preceding an attack.

Later that day, another J-15 took off from the Liaoning and violated Japanese airspace in the same area. In a more extended encounter running from 1837 hours to 1908 hours, the Chinese jet again illuminated a Japanese fighter with its radar.

"The radar illumination in this case was a dangerous act that exceeded the range necessary for safe aircraft flight, and we extremely regret that such an incident occurred. We have lodged a strong protest with the Chinese side and have sternly requested that this incident not be repeated," the ministry said in a statement.

No personnel were injured, and there was no damage to the aircraft, the ministry confirmed.

Beijing denied that the incident occurred, and instead blamed Japanese forces for "repeatedly sending aircraft to intrude into the training zone China had publicly delineated" just off the coast of Japan. "[It is] a classic case of the thief crying 'stop thief' and turning the tables," said Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang in a statement.

The run-in is the latest development in an unfolding disagreement. In early November, newly-elected Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi implied the Japan Self-Defense Force could be deployed to aid Taiwan from Chinese aggression in a "worst-case" scenario involving "[Chinese] warships with the use of military force" - for example, a naval blockade or a cross-strait amphibious assault. This would be a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, she said - language that could be used to justify the use of Japan's exclusively defensive military forces.

China responded with anger to Takaichi's statement, accusing her of reviving 20th-century Japanese militarism, but she has refused to retract her comments. Over the four weeks since, Beijing has banned Japanese seafood, advised its citizens not to visit Japan, dispatched the China Coast Guard on aggressive patrols through the contested Senkaku Islands, and pledged to "never allow" Japan to become a regional military power. This month, the PLA Navy carrier Liaoning began a transit around the eastern side of the Japanese home islands, a rare deployment and a sign of official discontent.

The Financial Times reports that Japan is seeking more vocal support from the White House for its position in the dispute, and is hoping for a public declaration from President Donald Trump. The U.S. backs Taiwan as a matter of policy, but does not formally recognize the island as a sovereign nation.