In 2021, Japan’s Self-Defense Forces captured this image of the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning passing through the Miyako Strait near Okinawa, heading towards the Pacific. Concerning the issue of the Chinese military allegedly locking radar on Japanese Self-Defense Forces’ fighter jets, both China and Japan are blaming each other. The Chinese military has been conducting frequent operations near Okinawa, including training exercises with over 100 carrier-based aircraft flights, escalating tensions following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks about potential Japanese Self-Defense Forces’ involvement if a Taiwan contingency arises.
On December 8, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara expressed strong displeasure and demanded prevention measures from China during a regular briefing. The previous night, the Chinese Foreign Ministry released a statement claiming Japanese fighter jets frequently conducted reconnaissance and interfered with normal Chinese military activities, accusing Japan of exaggerating the so-called “radar locking” issue to misrepresent the facts and incite international tension.
Earlier, Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi held an emergency press conference early in the morning of December 7, reporting that on December 6, between 4:32 PM and 4:35 PM and from 6:37 PM to 7:08 PM, a Chinese J-15 fighter from the Liaoning aircraft carrier allegedly locked radar on Japanese F-15 fighters over international waters southeast of Okinawa’s main island.
The Asahi Shimbun reported, citing an unnamed defense ministry official, that it is highly likely China used a “fire control” mode for radar, which could lead to a military confrontation. Radar usage is divided into “search mode” for identifying targets and “fire control mode” for missile launches, with the latter deemed highly provocative.
The Liaoning carrier group sailed from the northeast to the south and then toward the west of Okinawa, conducting joint exercises involving over 100 aircraft sorties over two days in waters between the main island and Minamidaitojima, about 360 km away, marking the first instance of such exercises in the area.
Japan had similarly accused a Chinese naval vessel of radar locking on a Japanese escort ship back in February 2013, taking six days to announce the incident, whereas this time, the information was released within 10 hours. Japan’s quick response and China’s unusual maneuvers amidst the deepening conflict between the two nations reflect the tensions intensified by Prime Minister Takaichi’s comments, with China issuing travel warnings against visiting Japan. However, Japanese officials, including Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, have expressed their intent to handle the situation calmly, indicating a desire to prevent a worsening of tensions.