Japan denies China’s claim that interference led to radar locks on SDF fighters
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Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the Air Self-Defense Force jets had kept a “safe distance” from Chinese military aircraft in the Dec 6 incident.
PHOTO: AFP
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TOKYO – Tokyo on Dec 8 dismissed as “baseless” Beijing’s claim that interference by Self-Defense Forces (SDF) fighter jets during Chinese naval training was the cause of radars being locked on the aircraft, amid continuing bilateral friction following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s earlier remarks on how Japan could react to an attack on Taiwan
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference that the Air Self-Defense Force jets had kept a “safe distance” from Chinese military aircraft off Japan’s southernmost prefecture of Okinawa in the incident on Dec 6.
The top government spokesman added that communication between the Japanese and Chinese defence authorities is “extremely important”, despite Beijing taking retaliatory steps over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s
Chinese J-15 aircraft from the carrier Liaoning locked radar on an ASDF F-15 at 4.32pm local time (3.32pm Singapore time) on Dec 6, and on another plane at 6.37pm local time over high seas south-east of Okinawa’s main island, according to the Japanese Defence Ministry.
During their drills in the Pacific, Chinese fighters, helicopters and the carrier Liaoning conducted about 100 training take-offs and landings on Dec 6 and 7, the Japanese Defence Ministry said, fanning fears of a hair-trigger situation.
On Dec 8, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun defended the radar locks on the Japanese fighter jets, saying they were “normal operations” carried out to ensure flight safety and in line with international law. “The key issue in this incident is that Japanese fighter jets intruded into China’s training area without authorisation, conducting close-in reconnaissance and interference with China’s military activities,” he said.
The Chinese navy said on Dec 7 that Japanese aircraft “repeatedly approached and disrupted” the Chinese naval training maritime area and airspace, and “seriously endangered flight safety”. The navy added that training zones were announced in advance.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Beijing has rejected Tokyo’s complaint over the incident and lodged a counter-protest.
The ministry has accused Japan of “deliberately making a false accusation” against China to build up tension and mislead the international community, urging Tokyo to “stop all irresponsible disinformation and political manipulation”.
The incident came amid an escalating diplomatic dispute over Ms Takaichi’s parliamentary comments on Nov 7 that a military attack on Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan.
The move drew harsh criticism from China, which interpreted her remarks as implying that Japan could authorise the SDF to support the US if Beijing imposed a maritime blockade on Taiwan or pursued other coercive actions.
Mr Kihara said the radar locks were “dangerous acts beyond what was necessary for the safe flight of aircraft”, and that Japan will take all possible air and maritime surveillance measures while closely monitoring the Chinese military’s activities.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman maintained it is a “common practice” for carrier-based aircraft to activate their search radar during flight training. Radar locks, however, can be considered a hostile act as they indicate preparations to fire weapons.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in Ms Takaichi’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) voiced hardline views on China during a meeting on diplomacy and national defence, with policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi calling the radar targeting “totally unacceptable”.
Mr Itsunori Onodera, head of the LDP’s research commission on security, said the actions by the Chinese military have “raised the alert level to a far more dangerous stage”, a development he said could be taken as a “provocation”.
Mr Onodera, a former defence minister, told reporters after the party gathering that he expects Washington to share “common perceptions” with Tokyo as its security ally and to convey a strong message to Beijing.
Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki also expressed alarm over the radar-lock incident during a meeting with a Japanese Defence Ministry official, saying: “We are deeply concerned that this heightens regional tensions and could lead to an unintended incident.”
China, meanwhile, took a further step in promoting its stance on Taiwan in the international community amid its feud with Japan, with Vice-President Han Zheng urging German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul to support Beijing’s position that the island is part of its territory. KYODO NEWS
