China Jet Locks Radar on Japan Plane as Tensions Simmer

Chinese fighter aircraft locked fire-control radar on Japanese military jets for the first time on Saturday, according to Japan’s Defense Ministry, an incident that is likely to further stoke simmering tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.

At a press briefing in the early hours of Sunday in Tokyo, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi gave details of two episodes of a Chinese J-15 intermittently locking its radar on Japanese F-15 fighter planes over international waters southeast of Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture.

“It’s extremely regrettable that such an incident occurred,” Koizumi said. “We have lodged a strong complaint with the Chinese side and strongly requested action to prevent a recurrence.”

The latest incident is set to further fuel tensions between the two nations sparked by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan last month, which is worrying to other Asia-Pacific countries. Takaichi said that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could mean a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, effectively implying the possibility that Tokyo might deploy its military with other nations in that scenario.

In a statement on its official WeChat account, a Chinese navy spokesperson said that Japanese Self-Defense Force aircraft repeatedly approached and disrupted its fighter jet training, gravely endangering flight safety.

Beijing has accused Takaichi of interfering in its internal affairs and issued economic and diplomatic reprisals, demanding that she retract the remark. The Japanese prime minister has refused to withdraw the comments, arguing that there is no change in Japan’s position, leaving the two sides locked in a diplomatic stalemate.

On Wednesday, she reiterated Japan’s long-held position that it understands and respects China’s view on Taiwan, a comment that some Chinese social media users saw as an attempt to walk back her recent remarks.

The first instance of the Chinese aircraft locking radar on a Japanese F-15 took place over a period of three minutes just after 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, according to a ministry statement. The second occurred during a period of about 30 minutes around two hours later, targeting a different F-15, it said. 

The F-15s had been scrambled to check that the Chinese aircraft launched from an aircraft carrier were not straying into Japanese airspace, according to the statement.

“The events last night are concerning,” Australian Minister for Defence Richard Marles said at a meeting with Koizumi in Tokyo on Sunday. “We understand that there will be interactions between our respective defence forces and indeed the defence forces of China, but our absolute expectation is that those interactions are safe and are professional.”

His Japanese counterpart reiterated the view that Japan would proceed firmly and calmly to ensure peace and stability in the region.

It is unclear if the Chinese move was an intentional action taken in the context of the current dispute or an unrelated incident. Still, there appears to be a precedent. In a previous spat between China and Japan over the sovereignty of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, a Chinese ship locked its fire-control radar on a Japanese destroyer in January 2013.

Since Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan on Nov. 7, China has advised its citizens against traveling to Japan, sent letters of protest to the United Nations and reached out to other countries to reaffirm support for its “One China” principle. US President Donald Trump spoke to both Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Japan’s Takaichi in separate calls in late November.

Tokyo has urged the US to give Takaichi more public backing amid frustration over the support she received for her Taiwan comments, the Financial Times reported people familiar as saying, citing Japan’s ambassador to Washington.

Separately, the Yomiuri newspaper reported Sunday that Japanese companies are facing delays in getting Chinese clearance to import minerals, including rare earths, citing several unidentified government officials.

Takaichi has so far shown no clear sign of taking retaliatory action against China. Takaichi and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi have repeatedly said that Tokyo’s position remains in line with a 1972 Sino-Japanese joint statement. The joint communique says that Japan understands and respects China’s view that Taiwan is an “inalienable part of its territory,” without specifically agreeing to the “One China” principle.

With assistance from Nobuaki Miyai, Paul Jackson and Tian Ying.

©2025 Bloomberg L.P.

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